Analysis shows higher work productivity loss and injury risk in patients with obesity and obstructive sleep apnea, suggesting benefits of weight management.
Objectives To examine work loss, motor vehicle accidents, and serious injuries among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity (“patients”) versus matched controls without OSA or obesity (“controls”). Methods Outcomes were compared for patients and controls after matching on baseline demographics, overall and stratified by OSA severity. Results Patients were three times more likely to have a short-term disability (STD) claim (15.7% vs. 5.0%, p < 0.001) and had higher STD costs ($960 vs. $305, p < 0.001) than matched controls. The prevalence of serious injuries was two-fold higher (17.1% vs. 8.4%; p < 0.001). Conclusions Patients with OSA and obesity have elevated risk of STD and serious injuries versus matched controls. Both weight and OSA management have the potential to reduce the burden of OSA and thus have the potential to reduce the burden of STD and serious injuries.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Varnado et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: