Objective:To investigate the relationship between red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and severity of
obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (
OSAHS). Method:A total of 112 patients with
OSAHS who were diagnosed by PSG monitoring were selected as
OSAHS group, and 61 healthy subjects with matched age, gender and BMI were selected as the control group. The peripheral venous blood of all subjects was collected in the morning, and relevant hematological indexes such as RDW, white blood cell count, red blood cell count,
hemoglobin, mean red blood cell volume, and platelet count were obtained. Result:The RDW level in the
OSAHS group was significantly higher than that in the control group. The RDW value increased gradually with the severity of
OSAHS and was positively correlated with AHI(r=0.259), the mean SaO₂ (r=-0.279), the lowest SaO₂( r=-0.328), BMI(r=0.203) and negatively correlated with sleep time(r=-0.204). Conclusion:The elevated level of RDW may be an
indicator of the severity of
OSAHS. Since RDW is usually included in the complete blood count, it can provide an economical and practical
indicator to initially assess the condition of
OSAHS patients and prioritize polysomnography monitoring.