Obstructive sleep apnea and COVID-19 clinical outcomes during hospitalization: a cohort study.

STUDY

OBJECTIVES

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an extremely common sleep disorder. A potential association between OSA and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity has been proposed on the basis of similar comorbid medical conditions associated with both OSA and COVID-19.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of 1,738 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 between March and October of 2020. Patients were classified based on the presence or absence of OSA diagnosis based upon the International Classification of Diseases (ICD; codes G47.33 and U07.1 for OSA and COVID-19, respectively). Other data were collected, including demographics, body mass index, and comorbid conditions. COVID-19 severity was compared between groups using the quick COVID-19 severity index.

RESULTS

Quick COVID-19 severity index scores were higher in patients with OSA compared with those without OSA. However, the prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes (P < .0001), coronary artery disease (P < .0001), congestive heart failure (P < .0001), and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (P < .0001) were also significantly greater in the OSA group. Unadjusted models revealed higher risk of intensive care unit admission in patients with COVID-19 and OSA. However, such an association was attenuated and became nonsignificant after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and comorbid disease.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, OSA does not appear to be an independent risk factor for worse COVID-19 outcomes in hospitalized patients. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to delineate the potential role of OSA in determining outcomes in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

CITATION: Mashaqi S, Lee-Iannotti J, Rangan P, et al. Obstructive sleep apnea and COVID-19 clinical outcomes during hospitalization: a cohort study. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(11):2197-2204.