Vol. 1, Issue 12 (2013)

Background and Objective: Studies have shown that environmental factors and ethnicity can have an impact on thyroid illness. The goal of this research was to identify the characteristics and risk factors of thyroid disease in relation to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to ascertain the prevalence of thyroid disease in individuals who were diagnosed with OSA based on laboratory testing.

Methods: Between November 2011 and October 2012, the study was conducted at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sardar Rajas Medical College and Hospital, Bhawanipatna, Orissa, India Upon referral to the sleep disorders clinic, all patients had their serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) assessed for an overnight sleep study. Four weeks after the sleep study, the levels were assessed. Each of the 120 patients had type I attended polysomnography (PSG) done.

Result: In addition, people with hypothyroidism were heavier overall and more likely to acquire hypertension and diabetes mellitus. They also went through extended periods of time where their SaO₂ levels were lower than 90. A significant correlation was seen between the body weight, duration of SaO2 > 90%, and desaturation index (33.3 32.4 min vs. 13.5 24.4 min, p<0.05) in male patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Among female OSA patients, no discernible differences were found between euthyroid and hypothyroid cases. Of the fifty-three patients without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), seven (13.2%) were found to have clinical hypothyroidism and were already receiving thyroxine replacement medication.

Conclusion: While subclinical hypothyroidism was common in OSA patients, the frequency of newly diagnosed clinical hypothyroidism in people with obstructive sleep apnea was comparatively low.