Psoriasis and obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that is associated with the metabolic syndrome and its components. An association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the metabolic syndrome was previously observed.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the association between psoriasis and OSA in a comprehensive community-based database.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was performed utilizing the medical database of Clalit Health Services. Patients with psoriasis were compared to controls regarding the prevalence of OSA in a case-control study. A logistic multivariate model was used to control for independent covariates.

RESULTS

The study included 12,336 patients with psoriasis ≥21 years and 24,008 age- and sex-matched controls. The prevalence of OSA in patients with psoriasis was increased compared to the control group (2.7%, 1.5%, respectively, P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypothyroidism, hyperlipidemia, and peptic disease demonstrated a significant association between psoriasis and OSA (odds ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.49, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

We found an association between psoriasis and OSA among a large cohort of patients with psoriasis. Clinicians should take into account that patients with psoriasis may have undiagnosed OSA.