Study: Adults with OSA more likely to have long COVID
By HME News Staff
Updated 11:29 AM CDT, Thu May 11, 2023
YARMOUTH, Maine - Adults with obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to experience long-term symptoms suggestive of long COVID (75%) than those without the sleep disorder, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The findings, part of the NIH’s Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) Initiative, were published in the journal SLEEP. The EHR data of more than 2.2 million Americans with COVID-19 was studied and suggests close monitoring after a COVID-19 infection for adults with sleep apnea. The findings may also strengthen understanding of why some people are more likely to develop long COVID after acute infection. “We still have a lot to learn about the long-term effects of this virus, but this study could inform clinical care by identifying patients who may benefit from closer monitoring,” said Marishka K. Brown, Ph.D., director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). All participants included in the analysis had tested positive for COVID-19 between March 2020 and February 2022. The researchers also found women had an 89% increased likelihood of having long COVID if they had obstructive sleep apnea, compared to a 59% increased chance for men. The underlying associations aren’t clear; however, women diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea included in the study may have had more severe conditions than men, according to researchers.
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