SFEBES2018 Poster Presentations Obesity & metabolism (24 abstracts)
1University of Warwick, Coventry, UK; 2University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK; 3University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry, UK.
Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are associated with significant comorbidities and commonly coexist. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between OSA and quality of life (QoL) in women with PCOS.
Study design: Observational cross-sectional study.
Methods: Women with PCOS were recruited from a single secondary care centre in the UK. PCOS was diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria. Women with increased risk of OSA, based on the Berlin questionnaire and/or the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), had home-based polysomnography performed (ALICE PDx). Participants were divided into two groups: 1) PCOS only: women with normal ESS and low-risk Berlin questionnaire (no sleep studies performed), or women with normal sleep studies; and 2) PCOS+OSA: women with PCOS and OSA [oxygen desaturation index (ODI) ≥5 events/hour]. QOL was assessed using the World Health Organisation QoL questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and the PCOS health-related quality of life questionnaire (PCOQ16).
Results: 39 women were included [mean ±SD] age was 32.2±8.9 years, weight 92.5±23.7 kg, and body mass index (BMI) 34.1±7.9 kg/m2. 38.5% (n=15) had OSA [15.4% (n=6) had moderate to severe OSA]. Compared to women with PCOS only, women with PCOS+OSA had higher BMI (37.3±7.3 vs. 31.7±7.6 kg/m2, P=0.03), HbA1C, CRP, and LDL. ODI was independently associated with impaired QoL. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) was independently associated with anxiety, depression, and impaired QoL.
Conclusions: In women with PCOS, OSA was associated with increased obesity, higher HbA1c, worse cardiovascular risk profile, and impaired QoL. Intermittent hypoxaemia and EDS were associated with lower QoL. Furthermore, EDS was associated with anxiety and depression. Interventional studies are needed to examine these associations further.