OSA Patients Face Double the Risk of RSV Infection and Severe Complications: Study Finds

The findings were consistent across multiple sensitivity analyses, which considered different follow-up durations, database subgroups, and study timeframes. Subgroup evaluations based on age and sex further supported the overall results, emphasizing the consistency and robustness of the observed associations.

The authors suggest that these findings may have important clinical implications. Recognizing OSA as a potential risk factor for RSV infection and its complications could help guide preventive strategies, early interventions, and risk stratification efforts.

Given the increasing awareness of RSV’s impact on adult populations—especially those with underlying health conditions—the researchers recommend further investigation to confirm these findings and evaluate whether patients with OSA should be classified as a high-risk group for RSV.

"The large-scale, real-world data analysis adds a new dimension to the understanding of RSV vulnerability and highlights the broader systemic impacts of obstructive sleep apnea beyond its well-known effects on sleep quality and cardiovascular health," the authors concluded.

Reference:

Ssu-Yu Chen, S., Ting-An Lin, T., Chiang, L., Chen, Y., Chen, Y., Hung, M., & Chang, R. (2025). Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Risk of Respiratory Syncytial Viral Infection: A Retrospective Multi-Institution Cohort Study. Journal of Medical Virology, 97(4), e70323. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.70323