Background: There is bidirectional relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and metabolic disease. Sleep apnea
results in intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, which lead to and exacerbate obesity and type 2 diabetes by
increasing sympathetic activity, oxidative stress, inflammation and lipolysis. Moreover, metabolic disease can lead to
or exacerbate sleep apnea through weight-dependent and physiology-dependent mechanisms.
Objective: The study aimed to explore the association between metabolic syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea
(OSA).
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted at Sleep Unit of Chest Department Benha University Hospitals.
This study enrolled 100 patients that were divided into two groups: Group A, which included 80 patients with
metabolic syndrome as cases and group B that included 20 patients without metabolic syndrome as control group. All
patients included in this study were subjected to lipid profile, HbA1c, overnight polysomnography (PSG).
Results: There was highly statistically significant positive correlation between apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and waist
circumference, TG, HbA1C, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and sum all night desaturation. There
was highly statistically significant negative correlation between AHI and HDL and minimal SPO2. TG, HDL, Hb A1C
and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significant predictors for increase AHI and increase OSA severity.
Conclusion: OSA was highly prevalent in patients with metabolic syndrome, which is associated with increasing
severity of OSA. Also, it is associated with poorer control of diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, which are all
components of metabolic syndrome.