TAIWAN – A diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea may raise the risk of osteoporosis, particularly among women or older individuals, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).
The findings by Taiwanese researchers add yet another ailment to the growing list of conditions made worse by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). “Ongoing sleep disruptions caused by obstructive sleep apnea can harm many of the body’s systems, including the skeletal system,” said one of the study’s authors, Kai-Jen Tien, MD, of Chi Mei Medical Center in Tainan, Taiwan. “When sleep apnea periodically deprives the body of oxygen, it can weaken bones and raise the risk of osteoporosis. The progressive condition can lead to bone fractures, increased medical costs, reduced quality of life and even death.”
The retrospective cohort study (Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Risk of Osteoporosis: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Taiwan) used records from Taiwan’s single-payer National Health Insurance program to track treatment of 1,377 people who were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea between 2000 and 2008. During the course of the next six years, researchers compared the rate of osteoporosis diagnosis in this group of obstructive sleep apnea patients to 20,655 people comparable in age and gender who did not have the sleep disorder.
Researchers found the incidence of osteoporosis was 2.7 times higher among patients with sleep apnea than their counterparts, after adjusting for age, gender, other medical problems, geographic location and monthly income. Women and older individuals faced increased risk of developing the bone condition.
“As more and more people are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea worldwide, both patients and health care providers need to be aware of the heightened risk of developing other conditions,” Tien said. “We need to pay more attention to the relationship between sleep apnea and bone health so we can identify strategies to prevent osteoporosis.”
“We’re optimistic about the future,” added Jim Hollingshead, president, ResMed Americas, an exhibitor at Medtrade, scheduled for Oct 20-23, 2014, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. “We know that there is an increasing awareness of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, and we know that more and more patients are looking for answers to their questions about their health. ResMed wants to partner with HMEs to help them streamline their business so that they get more patient referrals, better compliance, and a faster path to reimbursement.”
Additional sleep-related companies scheduled to exhibit at Medtrade include:
Battery Power Solutions – Booth #2245
Contour Products Inc – Booth #1025
Drive Medical – Booth #1617
Eastex Products Inc – Booth #2360
Fisher & Paykel Healthcare – Booth #1644
Glenn Medical Systems Inc – Booth #1029
Hudson Medical – Booth #1836
Inventory Solutions Inc – Booth #1237
Linak US Inc – Booth #1852
Nonin Medical Inc – Booth #1212
Philips Respironics Inc – Booth #1711
RemZzzs – Booth #1756
ResMed – Booth #1317
Roscoe Medical – Booth #1516
Sleep Nation Inc – Booth #2464
Transfer Master Products Inc – Booth #2252
U-Sleep – Booth #1330