Occupation and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-Analysis.

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains a prevalent condition, but its occupational burden is unclear. We carried out a systematic review to characterize the consistency and magnitude of occupational associations with OSA. We studied OSA within three occupational categories: commercial drivers, organic solvent-exposed workers, other selected occupations. We performed a meta-analysis on the prevalence of OSA among drivers and the risk of OSA associated with solvent exposure. The pooled OSA prevalence in drivers was 41% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26% to 56%) for apnea hypopnea-index (AHI) is greater than 5, and 15% (95% CI 12% to 19%) for AHI is greater than 15. Exposure to solvents was associated with increased but non-statistically significant risk of OSA: summary relative risk, 2.38 (95% CI 0.89 to 6.32). Evidence of occupational association was inconsistent for other factors. OSA is common among commercial drivers and potentially associated with occupations involving likely solvent exposure.