Sarcopenia and Physical Function in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Single-Centre Cross-Sectional Study (The SOSA Study)

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Sleep Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Health

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in older adults and may be associated with sarcopenia.
• Previous studies have not definitively established if OSA severity independently predicts sarcopenia, beyond age, obesity, and sex.
• This study investigates sarcopenia in a Kuwaiti cohort with varying OSA severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity is an independent predictor of sarcopenia.
• To assess sarcopenia prevalence and its components across different OSA severity strata.
• To identify determinants of sarcopenia in an older Kuwaiti population with OSA.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of 110 adults (≥50 years) with confirmed OSA.
• Stratification into mild, moderate, and severe OSA based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI).
• Sarcopenia assessment using the ISarcoPRM algorithm: ultrasound muscle thickness, STAR, handgrip strength, and chair stand test (CST).

Main Results:

• Sarcopenia prevalence increased with OSA severity (mild: 21.4%, moderate: 30.8%, severe: 34.9%), but this trend was not statistically significant.
• Age and BMI were independent predictors of sarcopenia; OSA severity was not.
• A modest correlation was found between OSA severity indices (AHI, ODI) and CST time, suggesting an impact on physical function.

Conclusions:

• In this Kuwaiti cohort, age and BMI are the main factors associated with sarcopenia, not OSA severity.
• Physical function (CST time) may be more affected by OSA than muscle mass itself.
• The high prevalence of low STAR necessitates population-specific normative data for high-obesity cohorts.