The 3% Oxygen Desaturation Index is an Independent Risk Factor for Hypertension Among Children with Obstructive Sleep...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Cardiology
• Sleep Medicine

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are significant risk factors for hypertension.
• Chronic intermittent hypoxemia (IH) is a key mechanism in OSA comorbidities.
• The interplay between IH, obesity, and hypertension in children remains poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between IH indices, apnea-hypopnea index, and weight status with hypertension in pediatric OSA patients.
• To identify independent predictors of hypertension in children with OSA.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study of 365 pediatric OSA patients.
• Collected demographics, anthropometrics, polysomnography, and nocturnal blood pressure data.
• Utilized multivariate logistic regression with forward selection to identify hypertension predictors.

Main Results:

• Oxygen desaturation index 3% (ODI3) and BMI z-score were independent continuous predictors of hypertension.
• Severe OSA and overweight/obesity were independent categorical predictors.
• In severe IH subgroup, male sex, late childhood/adolescence, overweight/obesity, and sleep hypoxemia predicted hypertension; severe OSA predicted hypertension in the no/mild IH subgroup.

Conclusions:

• Strong associations exist among IH, overweight/obesity, and hypertension in pediatric OSA.
• Reducing IH and body weight is crucial for managing hypertension in children with OSA.