JAMA Otolaryng Head Neck Surg
Vitamin D deficiency linked to obstructive sleep apnea in children
Vitamin D deficiency is common in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and correlates with greater OSA severity, according to findings from this cross-sectional study. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of vitamin D supplementation on treatment outcomes in pediatric OSA.
Study details:
The study included 72 children ages 2 to 16 years (mean age, 6.7 years; 47.2% female) with severe obstructive OSA (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥20 on polysomnogram) who were undergoing adenotonsillectomy at a pediatric otolaryngology clinic. Age, sex, race, BMI, history of asthma, and season were factored into the analysis.
Results:
Mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 42.8, with 49% of participants classified as obese. Vitamin D deficiency was identified in 37.5% of the cohort. Univariate analysis showed that vitamin D deficiency was associated with younger age (mean difference -5.0 years), Black race (OR 4.3), female sex (OR 4.8), and higher AHI (mean difference 13.8). In multivariable analysis, vitamin D deficiency remained significantly associated with AHI, with each 1.0-unit decrease in serum 25(OH)D correlating to a 0.7 increase in AHI.
Source:
Bluher AE, et al. (2024, October 31). JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. Vitamin D Deficiency and Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39480411/