title: Correlates of depressive symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depressive symptoms are common in many different medical illnesses, including obstructive sleep apnea. Previous studies have shown conflicting results on the relationship of depressive disorders and depressive symptoms with sex and severity of sleep apnea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-two men and 29 women diagnosed with moderate to severe OSA were reviewed for the presence of depressive symptoms and degree of sleepiness using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores at the time of polysomnography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher levels of depressive symptoms were reported by women (15.4 +/- 10.5) than men (8.1 +/- 6.6) (p < .01). At least mild depressive symptoms (BDI > 10) were found in 44.6% of all patients, including 62% of women and 39% of men (p < .05). At least moderate depression was present in 11.6% of patients (BDI >19), including 28% of women and 6% of men (p < .01). The BDI was positively related (p < .001) to the desaturation nadir. The degree of daytime sleepiness was unrelated to depression severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depressive symptoms are more common and more severe in women with OSA than in men, and this is consistent with results of previous studies that showed that depression is more common in women in a broad range of settings. Surprisingly, in this study, milder oxygen desaturation nadirs were associated with worse depression scores, especially in women, suggesting that depressive symptoms in female patients with obstructive sleep apnea originate from factors other than traditional measures of obstructive sleep apnea severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. vmccall@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: W Vaughn
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: McCall
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: Cormac
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D017286:Polysomnography; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen