A study in the May 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine reports that people with obstructive sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing depressive disorder. Participants with OSA were two times more likely than those without OSA to develop depressive disorder within a year (hazard ratio = 2.18). The study also confirmed a higher risk of incident depressive disorder among female patients with OSA (HR = 2.72) than among males (HR = 1.81). The study from Taiwan compared 2,818 patients diagnosed with OSA with 14,090 matched controls. A commentary notes that the study “represents a significant step in documenting a link between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and depression.” One strength of the study is its setting in Taiwan, “where most OSA patients are left untreated due to lack of insurance.”
