A preliminary study on the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome and chronic tinnitus

Abstract

Objective:To investigate and analyze the chronic tinnitus prevalence and its related factors in OSAHS patients.Method:We studied 115 patients who were diagnosed with OSAHS by polysomnography.All patients BMI were calculated. The amount of patients accompanying tinnitus was calculated by investigating the history of tinnitus. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyzes were used to calculate the association between gender, age, hearing loss, BMI, and the lowest SPO₂ with tinnitus. The differences in tinnitus prevalence among different age groups and gender were compared using chi-square test.Result:①The prevalence of tinnitus in 115 OSAHS patients was 38.26% (44/115). ②Between the ages of 31-80 years, the prevalence of tinnitus in every 10-year-old group was 9.09%,6.82%,11.36%,38.64%,and 29.55%,respectively.There was a significant difference between the age groups (χ²=14.55,P<0.01). The prevalence of female was 44.12%(15/34) which was higher than the male 35.80%(29/81), there was no significant difference (χ²=0.70,P>0.05). ③The results of univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that sex, BMI and lowest SPO₂ had no correlation with tinnitus in patients with OSAHS, while age and hearing loss were independent correlates of tinnitus(P<0.05).Conclusion:More than 1/3 of patients with OSAHS had chronic tinnitus, both age and hearing loss maybe the risk factors of tinnitus in patients with OSAHS, but neither BMI nor the lowest SPO₂ was clearly related to chronic tinnitus.