0879 The Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

Abstract Introduction The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remains an area of controversy with varying hypotheses. Both disorders negatively impact health-related quality of life and lead to detrimental clinical outcomes. The aim of our study was to determine the association between OSA and GERD. Methods We performed a review of the literature across major databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar in November 2021. Studies including patients with GERD and OSA were eligible for inclusion. The endpoints were to assess the association between OSA and GERD, the prevalence of OSA in patients with GERD or without GERD, and the prevalence of GERD in patients with or without OSA. Subgroup analyses were performed to determine whether body mass index (BMI), sex, smoking, or alcohol intake affect the degree of association. The total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and apnea hypopnea index (AHI) were compared between OSA patients with or without GERD. Results were pooled together using Reviewer Manager 5.4 software, and heterogeneity was quantified using I2 statistics Results 6 studies involving 2950 patients with either GERD or OSA were included in the pooled analysis. Our findings suggest that there was a statistically significant association between GERD and OSA (OR=1.67, 95% CI [1.18, 2.37], P=0.004). The prevalence of GERD was higher in patients with OSA compared to those without OSA (OR=1.63, P=0.001). Conversely, there was no difference in the prevalence of OSA in patients with or without GERD (OR=1.94, P=0.11). Subgroup analysis shows that BMI, sex, smoking, and alcohol intake did not alter the association between GERD and OSA. In patients with OSA, there were no statistically significant differences in the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and AHI between those with or without GERD. The mean differences were -5.89 minutes (P=0.19), -0.81% (P=0.67), and 0.80 (P=0.83), respectively. Conclusion Our results showed an increased prevalence of GERD is observed in patients with OSA but not vice-versa. However, the presence of GERD does not alter the total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and AHI in patients with OSA. BMI, sex, smoking, and alcohol intake do not seem to affect the strength of this association. Support (if any)