Men with Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome have low bone mineral density

A new study by Mira Daljeet and team found that predicted bone mineral density (BMD) values are lower in adults with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). The findings of this study were published in The Journal of Craniomandibular & Sleep Practice.

OSAS is characterized by recurrent partial or whole airway collapse events during sleep, which results in hypoxia and frequent awakenings from sleep. Current research provides fresh support for the link between OSAS and decreased bone mineral density. In order to ascertain the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and anticipated bone mineral density in people seeking orthodontic treatment, this study was carried out.

38 people in this retrospective cross-sectional research were split into OSAS and non-OSAS groups. Radiographic density (RD) of the left and right lateral areas of the first cervical vertebrae and dens of the second cervical vertebrae were quantified as an indication for BMD using pre-treatment cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.

The key findings of this study were:

In the independent sample t tests, there was no difference in the mean RD of any of the investigated locations between patients with and without OSA. 

On the left and right sides of CV1, this nonsignificance persisted; nevertheless, researchers found that men with OSA had substantially lower mean RD at the dens than those without OSA. 

Even after correcting for age, sex, and BMI, researchers still discovered statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients. 

In this study, individuals who had OSA had lower mean RD than those who did not (36.69 84.50 HU vs. 81.67 93.25 HU vs. 30.59 81.18 HU vs. 74.26 91.81 HU vs. P =.045) at the left CV1 and dens (159.25 115.96 HU vs. 22).

Men with OSAS had lower BMD than women, while both men and women in the non-OSAS groups had reduced BMD. When age, gender, and BMI were all taken into account, adults with OSAS had considerably lower projected BMD than non-OSAS patients. The mechanisms underlying the relationship between OSAS and BMD are currently unclear and deserve additional research.

Reference: 

Daljeet, M., Warunek, S., Covell, D. A., Monegro, A., Giangreco, T., & Al-Jewair, T. (2022). Association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and bone mineral density in adult orthodontic populations. In CRANIO® (pp. 1–11). Informa UK Limited. https://doi.org/10.1080/08869634.2022.2142724