Abstract
The Metabolic Syndrome shows a variable prevalence in obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and its association with insulin resistance or excessive daytime sleepiness in OSA is unclear. This study assessed in consecutive patients with newly diagnosed OSA: 1) the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome, and 2) its association with insulin resistance and daytime sleepiness.
Metabolic Syndrome (NCEP-ATP III criteria), insulin resistance (Homeostatic Model Assessment Index, n= 288) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were assessed in 529 OSA patients.
Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome was 51.2%, and increased with OSA severity. Each Metabolic Syndrome component correlated with AHI, but only blood pressure retained significance after correction for confounders. Both obesity and OSA contributed to metabolic abnormalities, with different gender-related patterns, since diagnosis of MetS was significantly associated with neck circumference, age BMI, and lowest Sa,O2 in males, and with age and arousal index in females. The number of MetS components increased with HOMA Index (p<0.0001). Prevalence of sleepiness was the same in patients with and without Metabolic Syndrome.
The Metabolic Syndrome occurs in about half of “real life” OSA patients irrespective of daytime sleepiness, and is a reliable marker of insulin resistance.
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