"Our findings support making obstructive sleep apnea a high-risk condition for adverse COVID-19 outcomes, so these patients can be prioritized for public health protections." -Dr. Tetyana KendzerskaA study led by Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska published in Thorax suggests that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could be at greater risk of contracting COVID-19 and having severe complications.
Using Ontario healthcare data, the team identified 324,000 people who likely had OSA because they had recently purchased a positive airway pressure device, the most common treatment for clinically significant OSA. During the first year of the pandemic, these people had a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and of having a COVID-19-related ED visit, hospitalisation, or ICU admission compared to similar individuals in the general population.
The team also found that people with OSA who had an additional airway disease such as asthma or COPD were at even greater risk of serious complications from COVID-19. This is one of the largest studies to confirm the link between OSA and increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and serious COVID-19-related complications, such as ED visits, hospitalisations or ICU admissions.
Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms involved, and how the risk can be reduced. See coverage in Healio and Pulmonology Advisor.
“Our findings support making obstructive sleep apnea a high-risk condition for adverse COVID-19 outcomes, so these patients can be prioritized for public health protections.” - Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska, sleep physician and associate scientist at The Ottawa Hospital, associate professor at the University of Ottawa.
Authors: Tetyana Kendzerska, Marcus Povitz, Andrea S Gershon, Clodagh M Ryan, Robert Talarico, Dennys Andrea Franco Avecilla, Rebecca Robillard, Najib T Ayas, Sachin R Pendharkar
Funding: Lung Health Foundation, Ontario Health Data Platform and ICES. All research at The Ottawa Hospital is enabled by generous donors to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.
Core Resources: ICES uOttawa
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