Patients with sleep apnea syndrome tend to be at increased risk of long-term new coronavirus infection

Pre-existing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with up to 75% increased risk of long-term COVID-19 infection in adults, an analysis from the NIH RECOVER collaboration found.

Electronic health record (EHR) data from three research networks showed that the unadjusted probability of SARS-CoV-2 acute sequelae (PASC) was significantly higher in adult and pediatric patients diagnosed with pre-pandemic OSA.

However, when adjusting for factors such as hospitalization, obesity and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension, the association between previous OSA and PASC decreased to varying degrees and remained significant only in adults.

• Adults in the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C) cohort (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.71-1.80)
• Adults in the National Patient-Centered Clinical Research Network (PCORnet; OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08-1.16)
• Children in the PEDSnet cohort (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.89-1.24)

In the N3C study, women with OSA had an 89% increased chance of long-term COVID-19, whereas men with OSA had a 59% increased chance (P.<0.001), according to researchers led by Hannah Mandel, M.S., senior data scientist at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.

“In this harmonized analysis, pre-existing OSA is associated with an increased risk of PASC-like symptoms in adult patients in the RECOVER EHR study network, despite different approaches for identifying probable PASC patients. We found that,” the research group wrote. sleepy.

The researchers said monitoring adult patients with OSA and taking proactive measures to prevent and control COVID-19 are important steps for clinicians.

“Although much remains to be learned about long-term COVID-19, this study will inform clinical care by identifying patients who should be monitored more closely,” Mandel said in the paper. Stated. news release. “People with sleep apnea and COVID-19 should seek early treatment, monitor symptoms, and continue vaccinations to reduce their risk of infection.”

Long-term coronaviruses include a range of neurological, respiratory, and other symptoms that people experience for weeks, months, and even years after SARS-CoV-2 infection. The CDC defines long-term coronavirus as symptoms beginning at least four weeks after infection, and the World Health Organization defines symptoms as persisting for at least three months.

Even with conservative estimates, it is said that the prolongation of the new coronavirus will have an impact about 10% of the population People who have been infected with, or are planning to develop, a new coronavirus infection.

“We still have a lot to learn Long-term effects of this virusHowever, this study may inform clinical care by identifying patients who may benefit from close monitoring,” said the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Sleep Disorders Study. Center Director Dr. Marishka Brown said. NIH statement.

This study relied on nationwide real-world data from the EHR to detect PASC accidents. Participants were recruited from any of his three cohorts:

• N3C: 1,783,940 adult COVID-19 patients included, of whom 3.9% had OSA prior to COVID-19 diagnosis, of whom 4.9% developed probable PASC
• PCORnet: 333,642 adults with COVID-19, 5.1% of whom already had OSA, 16.6% of whom developed possible PASC
• PEDSnet: 106,262 pediatric COVID-19 patients, of whom 1.8% previously had OSA, 4.6% of whom developed possible PASC

In the N3C and PCORnet adult networks, the majority of patients were non-Hispanic Caucasian (50–68%), whereas 43% were non-Hispanic Caucasian in the pediatric cohort. More than half of the patients in the NC3 and PCORnet adult networks were female (62% and 60%), whereas the majority in the PEDSnet cohort were male (51%).

The study authors acknowledged potential discrepancies in the recording of COVID-19 cases within the EHR data and the lack of coordination of patient vaccination status as limitations of the analysis.