Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty reduces the incidence of depression caused by obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the increase in the incidence of depression in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its preventability by uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP).

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, data from the Korea National Health Insurance Corporation were analyzed. A total of 160,840 participants (age ≥ 20 years) who were newly diagnosed with OSA between 2007 and 2014 were included. The participants were classified into a group that underwent UPPP (UPPP group, n = 19,773) and a group that did not undergo surgical treatment (no surgery group, n = 141,067). Propensity score matching by age and sex was used to select the control group of 804,200 subjects. The mean follow-up duration was 4.6 ± 2.3 years. The primary endpoint was newly diagnosed depression.

RESULTS

The incidence of depression was higher in patients with OSA than in controls (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.678, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.650-1.706). The UPPP group was still at a higher risk of depression than was the control group (HR: 1.535, 95% CI: 1.463-1.610), but the HR was statistically lower than that in the no surgery group (HR: 1.694, 95% CI: 1.665-1.724).

CONCLUSION

OSA increases the incidence of depression, which may be prevented to some extent by UPPP.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2b Laryngoscope, 129:1005-1009, 2019.