The association between obstructive sleep apnea and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: a retrospective nationwide...

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) from a large national inpatient sample database.

We conducted a retrospective analysis using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-Nationwide Inpatient Sample. OSA and NASH patients were identified using the ICD-10-CM code G47.33 and K75.81. Non-NASH patients (control) were randomly selected and matched by age and gender to each NASH patient in a 4 : 1 ratio. Weighted logistic regression models were used to calculate the association between OSA and NASH in addition to different comorbidities.

A total of 54,169 participants were included in our analysis; 10,740 cases of NASH were matched to 43,429 controls (non-NASH). NASH was significantly higher in the white population (82.12% vs. 76.64%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of OSA among NASH patients was significantly higher compared to the control group (15.8% vs. 8.9%, adjusted OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.14-1.56, p = 0.0003). The prevalence of celiac disease and Crohn's disease was significantly higher in patients with NASH (0.7% vs. 0.2%, p < 0.0002 and 1.28% vs. 0.76%, p < 0.0001). Multiple comorbidities were significantly elevated in the NASH group compared to the non-NASH group, including diabetes mellitus (DM; 36% vs. 17.6%, p < 0.0001), obesity (36.4% vs. 18.2%, p < 0.0001) and metabolic syndrome (0.86% vs. 0.06%, p < 0.0001). The mortality rate was significantly higher in the NASH group (3.8% vs. 2%, p < 0.0001).

This is the first study using the ICD-10-CM code with a specific search code for NASH. Our large population database results emphasize that there is a significant association between OSA and NASH.