title: Preliminary prospective explanatory observation on the impact of 3-month steroid therapy on the objective measures of sleep-disordered breathing.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excess endogenous steroids are a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The role of exogenous steroids in this setup is not known. In this study, we prospectively looked at the consequences of a 3-month steroid treatment on the objective measures of sleep-disordered breathing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients scheduled for long-term steroids treatment underwent two sleep studies, the first before initiation and the second after 3 months of steroid therapy. Their weight and neck girth were measured. Correlations between the changes in the body weight, neck girth, and cumulative steroids dose to apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) change were examined. A group of untreated mild OSA patients (n = 23) served as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen patients, five males and 12 females, mean age 52.4 ± 12.6 years, were studied. Fifteen patients increased their mean AHI by 56% from 9.8 ± 11.8 to 15.4 ± 15.8, p = 0.004. This increment was significantly higher when compared to the control group. Body weight and neck girth changes and cumulative steroid dose were not correlated to the AHI increment (Spearman's correlation coefficient r = 0.18 and p = 0.49, r = -0.23 and p = 0.37, r = -0.17 and p = 0.51, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that the objective measures of sleep-disordered breathing worsened after the 3-month steroid treatment. Future studies to define pertinent mechanisms and clinical relevance are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus, P.O. Box 9602, Haifa, 31096, Israel.
authors.forename: Gidon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hardak
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shaham
authors.forename: Emili
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Avitan
authors.forename: Mordechai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yigla
mesh_terms: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049628:Body Size / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009333:Neck; D017286:Polysomnography / Q000187:drug effects; D011241:Prednisone / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012895:Sleep, REM / Q000187:drug effects; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D011241:Prednisone