Obstructive Sleep Apnea Related to Abdominal Adipose Tissue Distribution Assessed by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis in Obese Patients

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and abdominal fat distribution in obese individuals.Methods: A total of 94 obese patients were enrolled in the study from January 2018 to July 2020. Demographic data were collected. OSAS was diagnosed based on the results of overnight polysomnography, and the abdominal fat distribution was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between OSAS and the distribution of abdominal fat. Results: 1) The mean age (SD) of the patients included in this study was 32.44 (11.81) years and the majority were women (62.77%). The overall incidence rate of OSAS was 51.06%, and 24 (25.53%) patients had mild OSAS, 10 (10.64%) had moderate OSAS, and 14 (14.89%) had severe OSAS. 2) The incidence of OSAS among men was higher than in women (62.86% vs. 44.07%). The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) of men was significantly higher than that of women (5.50, interquartile range [IQR] 3.80-30.6 vs. 4.2, IQR 1.4-12 events/hour, P=0.014). Additionally, men had a significantly higher visceral fat area (180.29±51.64 vs. 143.88±53.42 cm2, P=0.002). 3) Patients with OSAS had a significantly higher visceral fat area than patients without OSAS (178.28±59.89 vs. 135.68±40.58 cm2, P=0.013). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that abdominal fat area and fasting plasma glucose were independent risk factors for OSAS (odds ratio, 1.016; 95% confidence interval, 1.005-1,026, P=0.005; odds ratio, 1.618; 95% confidence interval, 1.149-2.278, P=0.006). Conclusions: In obese patients, the abdominal visceral adipose deposit was an independent risk factor for OSAS. Therefore, improving the distribution of abdominal fat may contribute to alleviating the severity of OSAS.