Bidirectional association between chronic kidney disease and sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Previous data have suggested a link between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and sleep apnea (SA). However, the prevalence and risk association of both disease entities are not uniformly described. Methods Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for eligible publications that included patients aged ≥ 18 years diagnosed with CKD or SA. Included studies were divided into two cohorts: (1) a cohort of CKD or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients reporting the prevalence of SA or odds ratio (OR) for SA (CKD cohort) and (2) a cohort of SA patients reporting the prevalence of CKD/ESKD or OR for CKD/ESKD (SA cohort). Results CKD cohort: Of 16 studies ( n = 340,587), the pooled estimated prevalence of SA among CKD/ESKD patients was 47.5% (95% CI 28.8–66.9). The pooled adjusted OR for SA among CKD/ESKD patients was 1.961 (95% CI 1.702–2.260). Male sex, history of diabetes, and lower BMI were associated with increased prevalence of SA. SA cohort: Of 12 studies ( n = 3,103,074), the pooled prevalence of CKD/ESKD among patients with SA was 8.2% (95% CI 4.7–13.7), whereas the pooled adjusted OR for CKD/ESKD among patients with SA was 2.088 (95% CI 1.777–2.452). Increasing age, higher BMI, male sex, white race, and history of diabetes were associated with higher prevalence of CKD/ESKD. Conclusion There was a bidirectional association between CKD/ESKD and SA. Interventions aiming to prevent the progression of either CKD or SA are important.