Relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis and risk of obstructive sleep apnea

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the connection between OSA risk and CRS by investigating associations between the STOP-Bang questionnaire and presence of CRS in a nationwide, population-based study. This is a cross-sectional study based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). We evaluated 10,081 subjects who completed both the STOP-Bang and CRS-related questionnaires. Among the total subjects, 390 (3.9%) were CRS patients. The median STOP-Bang score was 3.0 [2.0; 4.0] in CRS patients, compared to 2.0 [1.0; 3.0] in subjects without CRS. In a low-risk group according to the STOP-Bang questionnaire, 3.1% of subjects were CRS patients. However, a gradual increase was observed among different risk groups. In the higher risk group, CRS patients accounted for 5.3% (P < 0.001). Among the four main symptoms of CRS (nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, facial pain/pressure, and decreased sense of smell), nasal obstruction (4.1 to 7.3%) and a decreased sense of smell (1.9 to 3.3%) increased with higher STOP-Bang scores. This study found that the proportion of patients with CRS was significantly higher in the group at a higher STOP-Bang score in the general population. Among symptoms of CRS, nasal obstruction and anosmia were found to be associated with an increased STOP-Bang score.