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

This study investigated the relationship between iron metabolism and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity in individuals with self-reported androgenetic alopecia (AGA) using data from the EPISONO database. Out of 769 participants, 81 were in the AGA group, and 666 were 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 positively associated with AHI and desaturation index in women, while serum iron was negatively correlated with the desaturation index in men. These findings suggest that iron metabolism components, particularly iron and ferritin, are associated with OSA severity in AGA, highlighting the need to consider iron profiles in managing OSA in AGA patients. Further research is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of these associations.