Risk Factors Associated With Cardiometabolic Comorbidities in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who experience longer sleep apneas and hypopneas, worse sleep quality, and marked intermittent/global nocturnal hypoxemia are more at risk of developing cardiometabolic comorbidities, according to study results published in Respiratory Research.

Medical records from patients with moderate to severe OSA were retrospectively analyzed. Parameters such as condition severity, demographics, comorbidities, and polysomnographic characteristics were collected and analyzed to identify factors associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities.

Of the 1717 patients evaluated, 68% were men. Furthermore, 57.3% of the study cohort had severe OSA and 52% had at least one concurrent cardiovascular comorbidity. When risk factors associated with cardiometabolic comorbidities were analyzed, patients affected by cardiovascular comorbidities were found to be older, more often women, and nonsmokers. Other risk factors included longer sleep apneas and hypopneas, worse sleep quality, and marked intermittent/global nocturnal hypoxemia.

The researchers stressed the importance of considering all the different sleep parameters when choosing OSA treatment on an individual basis. “Moreover, further studies need to be conducted, prospectively, to identify the added value of comorbid insomnia in the occurrence of cardiometabolic comorbidities in OSA,” they concluded.

Reference

André S, Andreozzi F, Van Overstraeten C, et al. Cardiometabolic comorbidities in obstructive sleep apnea patients are related to disease severity, nocturnal hypoxemia, and decreased sleep quality [published January 29, 2020]. Respir Res. doi:10.1186/s12931-020-1284-7

This article originally appeared on Pulmonology Advisor