| Summary: | Abstract Purpose Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-breathing disorder. Numerous investigations have found a strong inherent relationship between OSA and hypothyroidism. Studies suggest that lymphocytes may be involved in the development of hypothyroidism in patients with OSA. This study aimed to assess the association between lymphocytes and hypothyroidism in OSA patients. Patients and methods This study involved 920 patients with OSA who underwent nocturnal sleep monitoring, thyroid function testing, and routine blood tests. In patients with OSA, logistic regression analysis indicated independent predictors of hypothyroidism. The cutoff level of lymphocyte count was determined using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to predict the occurrence of hypothyroidism in individuals with OSA. Results This study comprised 920 OSA patients (617 males and 303 women), 879 with normal thyroid function, and 41 with hypothyroidism, with a hypothyroidism incidence of 4.46%. In the entire OSA population and male OSA patients, the number of lymphocytes was significantly higher in the hypothyroid group than in the control group (p = 0.002 and 0.020, respectively). In addition, among the OSA population younger than 60 years old and patients with mild to moderate OSA, lymphocytes were found to be considerably more in the hypothyroid group than in the euthyroid group. Lymphocyte count, ESS, and sex were all independent predictors of hypothyroidism development in OSA patients. According to ROC curve analysis, the risk of hypothyroidism increases with increasing lymphocyte count in the total patient population, with an optimal diagnostic cutoff point of 2.5 (× 10*9/L). Conclusions The prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with OSA increases as the number of lymphocytes increases. Lymphocyte count can be used as an independent predictor of the occurrence of hypothyroidism, and it has a diagnostic value for OSA combined with hypothyroidism.
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