PCOS: obstructive sleep apnoea tied to obesity and worse metabolic profile

Takeaway

• In women with PCOS, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with obesity and worse metabolic profiles; however, there is no clarity whether the effects of OSA are independent of obesity.

Why this matters

• OSA is a common medical condition that is highly prevalent in women with PCOS and obesity.
• Studies have suggested that OSA may lead to a more severe form of PCOS in affected women.

Study design

• Meta-analysis of 6 studies involving 252 participants evaluated the association between OSA and metabolic abnormalities in women with PCOS.
• Funding: None disclosed.

Key results

• Compared with women with PCOS without OSA, those with PCOS and OSA had significantly higher:
  • BMI (mean difference [MD], 6.01 kg/m²; 95% CI, 4.69-7.33);
  • waist circumference (MD, 10.93 cm; 95% CI, 8.03-13.83);
  • systolic BP on average by 10.8 mmHg (95% CI, 6.21-15.39);
  • fasting plasma glucose levels (MD, 0.45 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.21-0.69);
  • 2-hour plasma glucose on oral glucose tolerance test (MD, 1.39 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.67-2.11);
  • total cholesterol (MD, 0.74 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.30-1.18);
  • Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD, 0.52 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.18-0.86);
  • triglycerides (MD, 0.35 mmol/L; 95% CI, 0.18-0.52); and
  • metabolic syndrome incidence rate (rate difference, 37.2%; 95% CI, 19.3-55.1).
• No significant difference was found between total and free testosterone levels between the 2 groups.

Limitations

• Limited number of studies.
• Majority of studies were conducted in only 1 country (USA) and had a high risk for selection bias.