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Sleepiness and Vitamin D Levels in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Kostas Archontogeorgis1, Nicholas-Tiberio Economou1, Panagiotis Bargiotas2
1Department of Pneumonology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 28, 2024
Summary
Low Vitamin D levels are linked to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Sleep hypoxia may contribute to this association, highlighting the importance of Vitamin D status in OSA management.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology and Sleep Medicine
- Nutritional Science and Sleep Disorders
Background:
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder characterized by repeated episodes of upper airway obstruction during sleep.
- Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common and often debilitating symptom in patients with OSA.
- Vitamin D deficiency has been implicated in various health conditions, and its role in sleep disorders is an emerging area of research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- To explore the relationship between Vitamin D status, sleep parameters, and the severity of sleepiness in an OSA cohort.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving newly diagnosed OSA patients, stratified by the presence or absence of EDS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS] > 10 vs. < 10).
- All participants underwent overnight polysomnography to assess sleep-related parameters.
- Serum 25(OH)D levels were quantified using radioimmunoassay.
Main Results:
- Patients with EDS exhibited significantly higher apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) values and lower mean serum 25(OH)D levels compared to non-somnolent patients.
- In patients with EDS, serum 25(OH)D levels showed a negative correlation with ESS scores, AHI, and arousal index, and a positive correlation with average oxyhemoglobin saturation.
- Serum Vitamin D levels were identified as an independent predictor of EDS in OSA patients, with lower levels associated with increased sleepiness.
Conclusions:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea is associated with lower serum Vitamin D levels.
- Sleep hypoxia, indicated by reduced oxyhemoglobin saturation, may play a significant role in the relationship between Vitamin D status and EDS in OSA.
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