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Exploring the link between vitamin D deficiency and obstructive sleep apnea: A comprehensive review.

Journal of sleep research
October 1, 2024
Nan Yao et al. (7 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to explore the connection between vitamin D deficiency and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), potential underlying mechanisms, and the therapeutic implications of vitamin D supplementation.

Results Summary

The study found a high incidence of vitamin D deficiency among OSA patients, independent of geographical location, and suggested that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to more severe OSA manifestations. Some studies noted improvements in sleep quality and reduced OSA severity with vitamin D supplementation.

Population

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Effective Dosage

Not specified.

Duration

Not specified.

Interactions

None mentioned.

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
-
increase
vitamin D deficiency
patients with OSA
-
high incidence
#1
-
increase
reduced vitamin D
-
-
associated with more severe manifestations
#2
vitamin D supplements
increase
sleep quality
-
-
improvements
#3
vitamin D supplements
decrease
OSA severity
-
-
reduction
#4
Abstract

Despite the high prevalence and significant health burden of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), its underlying pathophysiology remains incompletely understood. This comprehensive review explores the emerging connection between vitamin D deficiency and OSA, discusses potential mechanisms underlying this association, and explores the therapeutic implications of these findings. Recent research has consistently highlighted the high incidence of vitamin D deficiency among patients with OSA, which often occurs independently of geographical location. This suggests that factors beyond lack of sunlight exposure may be involved. This review also discusses how reduced vitamin D may be associated with more severe manifestations of OSA. In addition, it explores the potentiality of using vitamin D supplements as a therapeutic strategy for OSA, noting that some studies have found improvements in sleep quality and a reduction in OSA severity. Potential mechanisms are proposed, including the role of vitamin D deficiency in promoting inflammation, oxidative stress, hypoxia, impairing immune function, muscle function, and gene polymorphism of vitamin D receptors, all of which could contribute to the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. The paper underscores the need for future research to validate these observations, to determine optimal vitamin D supplementation dosage and duration, to explore potential side effects and risks, and to investigate potential interactions with other treatments.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansVitamin D DeficiencySleep Apnea, ObstructiveVitamin DDietary Supplements
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy65/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations3
Citations/Year3.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score2.66
Normalized Score0.61
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