Associations Between Iron Metabolism and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity in Female and Male Individuals With Self-Reported Androgenetic Alopecia: A Propensity-Score Matching Analysis From the EPISONO Database

The study investigated the relationship between iron metabolism and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in individuals with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using data from the EPISONO database. Among 769 participants, 81 were in the AGA group and 666 in the Non-AGA group. After propensity score matching, 160 individuals were analyzed. The study found significant correlations between serum iron and the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in both sexes, with stronger associations in women. Ferritin levels were linked to AHI and desaturation index in women, while serum iron was negatively correlated with the desaturation index in men. In Non-AGA men, transferrin was associated with AHI and sleep efficiency. These findings suggest that iron metabolism components, particularly iron and ferritin, are associated with OSA severity in AGA, emphasizing the need to consider iron profiles in OSA management. Further research is needed to understand these metabolic associations.