Age and sex differences on the association between anxiety disorders and obstructive sleep apnea: A nationwide case‐control study in Taiwan

Aim The aim of this study was to examine the association between anxiety disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods This is a population‐based, retrospective case‐control study using Taiwan's nationwide database. We included patients with OSA aged ≥12 years, diagnosed according to the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD‐9‐CM) codes: 327 and 780. Each enrolled patient with OSA needed to undergo a polysomnography examination within 1 year pre‐ or post‐OSA occurrence. Patients with OSA and controls were selected in a 1:4 ratio. Patients with anxiety disorders (ICD‐9‐CM code 300) were diagnosed by board‐certified psychiatrists and required to visit the outpatient clinic at least three times per year. Multivariate logistic regression and interaction analyses were used to evaluate the objective association. Results This study enrolled 7987 and 31 948 participants with and without OSA, respectively. A significant difference in anxiety exposure was observed only pre‐OSA diagnosis but not post‐OSA diagnosis. Compared with patients without anxiety disorders: (i) those with anxiety disorders had an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of ≈1.864 in OSA comorbidity (aOR = 1.864; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.337–2.405); and (ii) subgroup analysis showed a significant interaction that anxiety patients of male sex, aged 18 to 44 years, aged 45 to 64 years, and hypertension had a higher aOR in OSA comorbidity (aOR = 2.104 [95% CI = 1.436–2.589], aOR = 1.942 [95% CI = 1.390–2.503], aOR = 2.179 [95% CI = 1.564–2.811], and aOR = 2.092 [95% CI = 1.497–2.706], respectively). Conclusion The study revealed a higher ratio of previous anxiety exposure in patients with OSA. Compared with those without anxiety, anxiety patients of male sex, aged 18 to 64 years, and with hypertension had a higher risk of OSA comorbidity.