Endothelial function and arterial stiffness in minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea
Malcolm Kohler1, Sonya Craig, Debby Nicoll
1Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LJ, UK. malcolm.k@bluewin.ch
Summary
Minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) impairs endothelial function and increases arterial stiffness. These vascular changes suggest a higher cardiovascular risk, even without elevated blood pressure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Sleep Medicine
- Vascular Physiology
Background:
- Moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is linked to endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness, and hypertension.
- The vascular impact of minimally symptomatic OSA remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether minimally symptomatic OSA is associated with impaired vascular function.
Main Methods:
- Assessed endothelial function using flow-mediated dilatation and pulse wave analysis in 64 minimally symptomatic OSA patients and 15 controls.
- Measured arterial stiffness via augmentation index (AI(x)) and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) over one week.
Main Results:
- Patients with OSA showed significantly lower flow-mediated dilatation compared to controls (P=0.003).
- The OSA group had a higher AI(x) (P=0.04) and a smaller AI(x) change after interventions (P=0.005 and P=0.04).
- Ambulatory blood pressure was similar between groups (P=0.21).
Conclusions:
- Minimally symptomatic OSA is associated with impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness.
- Despite normal blood pressure, these vascular alterations indicate elevated cardiovascular risk in patients with minimally symptomatic OSA.
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