REM-related sleep-disordered breathing is associated with depressive symptoms in men but not in women

• DOI: 10.1007/s11325-016-1323-2
• Publication Date: 2016-03-11T07:10:17Z
• Authors: Sang-Ahm Lee; Joon-Hyun Paek; Su-Hyun Han
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Depression; Polysomnography; Statistics as Topic; Sleep, REM; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence; Middle Aged; 03 medical and health sciences; Cross-Sectional Studies; Sex Factors; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; 0302 clinical medicine; Quality of Life; Humans; Female

The purposes of the present study are to determine the prevalence and demographic features of rapid eye movement (REM)-related sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in Korean adults with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and determine if REM-related SDB is associated with depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in OSA patients.In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated 1281 OSA adults who were consecutively recruited. REM-related SDB was defined as an overall apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5, an AHINREM <15, and AHIREM to AHINREM ratio of >2. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health survey (SF-36) were used to evaluate all patients. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between REM-related SDB and clinical outcomes.The prevalence of REM-related SDB was 18 % in this study. REM-related SDB was more commonly observed in patients with mild or moderate OSA (p < 0.001) and women (p < 0.001). The linear regression analysis showed that the presence of REM-related SDB was significantly associated with higher BDI scores, but only in men. AHIREM was positively associated with the BDI scores, but only in men with REM-related SDB. There were no differences in ESS and SF-36 scores between patients with and without REM-related SDB.Patients with REM-related SDB account for 18 % of Korean OSA adults. REM-related SDB was associated with depressive symptoms, but only in men. AHIREM is positively related to the degree of depressive symptoms in men with REM-related SDB.