Relationships between body mass index and depressive symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A study from Northern part of India, Kashmir

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often results in a wide range of psychological symptoms. The relationship of depressive disorders and depressive symptoms with body mass index (BMI) and severity of sleep apnea were the subject of numerous studies; results, however, were inconclusive in the majority of studies. Keeping this in view, we studied the correlates of depressive symptoms in patients with OSA. Relationships between BMI and depressive symptoms in patients with OSA. METHODS: We performed polysomnography (PSG) studies of patients that were referred from various subspecialty clinics from July 2011 to August 2013. Ninety-five women and 87 men (total 182) diagnosed with OSA were reviewed for the presence of depressive symptoms and degree of sleepiness using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Moreover, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview Scale was applied at the time of PSG. This was followed by application of standard methods of statistical analysis. RESULTS: Our sample included 27 (42.6%) men and 20 (57.4%) women, with a mean age of 58.60 ± 14.75 years. Women (61.6 ± 10.0) had a mean age significantly more (P = 0.011) than that of men (54.0 ± 13.0). BMI has a statistical significant correlation with apnea–hypopnea index (correlation is significant at the 0.05 level [two-tailed]), ESS (correlation is significant at the 0.05 level [two-tailed]), and HAM-D (correlation is significant at the 0.01 level [two-tailed]). CONCLUSION: Depressive symptoms are more common and more severe in women with OSA than in men. There is definite relationship between BMI and depressive symptoms in patients with OSA. There is no causal relationship between OSA and depressive symptoms in the population studied.