Systemic inflammatory response index as an independent predictor of severity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Chronic inflammation plays a crucial role in developing various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a unique condition characterized by the coexistence of cardiovascular and metabolic disturbances, where chronic inflammation may exacerbate disease progression and severity. This study investigated how different hematological inflammatory cells and mediators can serve as predictive indicators of severe OSA.

In a retrospective cohort study, 150 patients suspected of having obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) underwent polysomnography (PSG) to confirm the diagnosis. Based on their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the patients were categorized into three groups: mild, moderate, and severe OSA. Blood samples were collected for the assessment of inflammatory blood cells and mediators at the time of diagnosis.

Among the 150 patients studied, 90 were diagnosed with OSA, and 43 had severe OSA, representing a prevalence rate of 47.7%. Patients with severe OSA were notably older and more likely to have diabetes mellitus and hypertension. After adjusting for age and sex, each one-unit increase in Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI), C-reactive protein (CRP), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels was associated with a doubling in the likelihood of having moderate and severe OSA (p < 0.05 for all). However, hypertension was linked to a 16-fold increase in the likelihood of moderate and severe OSA (p = 0.01).

Our research indicates that comorbidity and inflammatory cells and markers (SIRI, CRP, and ESR) are significantly related to the severity of OSA.