Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Psychiatry. Sep 19, 2024; 14(9): 1411-1414
Published online Sep 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i9.1411
Burdened breaths: The influence of depression on obstructive sleep apnea
Xiao Wang, Shao-Ming Song, Hong-Mei Yue
Xiao Wang, Shao-Ming Song, Hong-Mei Yue, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
Author contributions: Wang X and Yue HM designed the study; Song SM searched the literature; Wang X and Yue HM wrote the manuscript; All authors approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hong-Mei Yue, MD, PhD, Doctor, Professor, The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, No. 199 West Donggang Road, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China. yhmlcsy@163.com
Received: March 21, 2024
Revised: August 7, 2024
Accepted: August 13, 2024
Published online: September 19, 2024
Processing time: 173 Days and 15.2 Hours
Abstract

Depression and metabolic syndrome could exacerbate the risks of the other, leading to a series of severe coexisting conditions. One notable comorbidity that must be mentioned is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Current studies suggested that depression increases susceptibility to OSA. As the prevalence of depression rises, it becomes critical to prevent and manage its complications or comorbidities, including OSA. Predictive models, non-invasive electroencephalogram monitoring, genetic research, and other promising technologies are being applied to the prevention, diagnosis, and personalized treatment of depression and OSA.

Keywords: Depression; Obstructive sleep apnea; Metabolic syndrome; Prevalence; Risk factor

Core Tip: Depression and obstructive sleep apnea frequently coexist and share similar symptoms. By exploring the causal relationship between depression and obstructive sleep apnea, we may gain new insights and develop strategies for their prevention and treatment, contributing to improved overall health status for these patients and promoting the development of personalized treatment approaches.