PsychiatryAdvisor: The global pandemic has had significant implications for the diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

These findings from a systematic review were published in Sleep Medicine Reviews.

Researchers from the Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom searched publication databases through June 2, 2020 for papers on COVID-19 and sleep. Studies (N=18) which included data on OSA were analyzed for this review. Of the papers, 10 were related to diagnosis, treatment, and management of OSA with COVID-19 and 8 were related to OSA and the COVID-19 mortality risk.

The most common risks for mortality from COVID-19 among patients with OSA included advanced age, high body mass index, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, and diabetes. A study of diabetes and COVID-19 identified OSA as an independent predictor of increased risk for mortality on day 7 (odds ratio [OR], 2.80; 95% CI, 1.46-5.38).

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