Assessment of bone mineral density and bone metabolism in young men with obstructive sleep apnea: a cross-sectional study

Background Hypoxia in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients during sleep may have an effect on bone metabolism. Few data regarding evaluation of bone metabolism in young individuals diagnosed with OSA. In this study, we aim to identify the association between bone mineral density and OSA in young men (<= 40 years old of age). Methods Consecutive male subjects who underwent polysomnography were enrolled. Serum calcium, 25-hydroxyvitamin-D3, beta-isomerized form C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen, osteocalcin and procollagen type 1 N-propeptide were measured in all participants, and bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck and hip total were determined by dual energy X-ray absorption (DXA). Results The population consisted of 85 subjects (mean age 35.53 years). The BMD at lumbar spine (L1-L4) in moderate OSA patients was higher than control and severe OSA group significantly (p = 0.036). After adjustment for confounding factors, stepwise multiple linear regression analyses showed LaSO2 (beta = 0.340, p = 0.008) as an independent explanatory variable for Lumbar L1-L4 BMD, LaSO2 (beta = 0.304, p = 0.037), BMI (beta = 0.393, p = 0.008) for femur neck BMD and BMI (beta = 0.720, p = 0.002) for hip total BMD. Conclusions. Our finding indicated that there was a relationship between OSA and bone metabolism in younger men, and moderate OSA-related hypoxia positively related with BMD. This study also showed that different degrees of recurrent hypoxia had different effects on bone metabolism, a finding that required further investigation.

Automated summary

This study aimed to explore the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in young men. The results showed that moderate OSA patients had higher BMD at the lumbar spine compared to control and severe OSA groups. Further analysis revealed that LaSO2 and BMI were independent explanatory variables for BMD. These findings suggest a link between OSA and bone metabolism in younger men, with moderate OSA-related hypoxia positively affecting BMD. However, more research is needed to fully understand the effects of recurrent hypoxia on bone metabolism.