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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Drug-Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) with Target Controlled Infusion (TCI) and Bispectral Analysis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Published on: December 6, 2016
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Female Reproductive Endocrine Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization and Mediation Analysis
Zhe Wang1, Jie Qin1, Jia Wang1,2
1Department of Otolaryngology, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China, syjqzyy.com.
Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the potential causal association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the risk of female reproductive endocrine diseases (REDs), including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis (EMs), and female infertility (FI) using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
Methods:
Genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics were obtained from the FinnGen consortium, GWAS catalog, UK Biobank, and GIANT consortium, with a focus on individuals of European ancestry. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) correlated with OSA were investigated in relation to REDs (PCOS, EMs, and FI) using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Sensitivity analyses were used to test the consistency of the results. Furthermore, a two-step MR was performed to quantify the proportion of the effect of body mass index (BMI)-mediated OSA on REDs.
Results:
Our primary MR analysis revealed that genetically predicted OSA was positively linked to increased PCOS (odds ratio [OR] 1.341, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.014-1.774, p = 0.039), while no significant causal relationships were observed between OSA and EMs, or FI (all p > 0.05). Mediation analysis showed that BMI mediated 18% of the association between OSA and PCOS (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.015-1.105).
Conclusion:
This study suggested that early detection and management of OSA in women may be a new strategy to improve PCOS in the future. Meanwhile, it also emphasized the importance of adjusting BMI as a therapeutic strategy to mitigate the effects of OSA on PCOS.
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