Sleep Apnea May Boost Depression Risk in Men, Study Finds
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Men who have the sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea appear to have a higher risk of depression, new research suggests.
Men with undiagnosed, severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had more than double the risk of depression compared to those without sleep apnea, said study researcher Carol Lang, a research fellow in the department of medicine at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
Men who had both undiagnosed, severe apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness had an even greater risk of depression. Their risk of depression was up to five times greater, the study said.
Lang said she can't explain why these conditions seem to be linked. "Many of the symptoms of OSA and depression overlap, such as tiredness, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, low vitality and poor concentration," she said. The two conditions also share some common risk factors, such as advancing age.
While the nature of the study prevents "our drawing any conclusion to cause and effect," Lang said, she added that the relationship between apnea and depression was strong.
Lang was scheduled to present the findings at the American Thoracic Society meeting on Monday in Denver. Studies presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Lang evaluated nearly 860 men for the study. Their ages ranged from 35 to 83, and the average age was 60. During the five-year study period, the men were evaluated twice for depression. They underwent sleep lab studies to see if they had obstructive sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea experience periods when their breathing becomes very shallow due to partial blockage of the airway, Lang said. They may even stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer. Sometimes it happens over a hundred times a night, she said.
In the new study, the researchers defined severe apnea in the conventional way, using a score known as the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) that measures how often someone has shallow breathing or pauses in breathing per hour. Those with an AHI score of 30 or greater were classified as having severe sleep apnea.
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Men who have the sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea appear to have a higher risk of depression, new research suggests.
Men with undiagnosed, severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) had more than double the risk of depression compared to those without sleep apnea, said study researcher Carol Lang, a research fellow in the department of medicine at the University of Adelaide in Australia.
Men who had both undiagnosed, severe apnea and excessive daytime sleepiness had an even greater risk of depression. Their risk of depression was up to five times greater, the study said.
Lang said she can't explain why these conditions seem to be linked. "Many of the symptoms of OSA and depression overlap, such as tiredness, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, low vitality and poor concentration," she said. The two conditions also share some common risk factors, such as advancing age.
While the nature of the study prevents "our drawing any conclusion to cause and effect," Lang said, she added that the relationship between apnea and depression was strong.
Lang was scheduled to present the findings at the American Thoracic Society meeting on Monday in Denver. Studies presented at medical meetings are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Lang evaluated nearly 860 men for the study. Their ages ranged from 35 to 83, and the average age was 60. During the five-year study period, the men were evaluated twice for depression. They underwent sleep lab studies to see if they had obstructive sleep apnea.
People with sleep apnea experience periods when their breathing becomes very shallow due to partial blockage of the airway, Lang said. They may even stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer. Sometimes it happens over a hundred times a night, she said.
In the new study, the researchers defined severe apnea in the conventional way, using a score known as the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) that measures how often someone has shallow breathing or pauses in breathing per hour. Those with an AHI score of 30 or greater were classified as having severe sleep apnea.
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