[Obstructive sleep apnoea and cardiovascular disease--a retrospective study]

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is associated with adverse effects in cardiovascular physiology. Some studies have connected this pathology with Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).

Determine the prevalence of CVD in patients with OSA of different severity and verify the association between CVD and OSA.

Retrospective study based on data from 155 consecutive patients with OSA referred to a Sleep Disordered Breathing Clinic in an University Hospital during the year of 2001.

The majority of patients were male (83,2%), the mean age was 53,6 +/- 11,9 years. Severe OSA was observed in 52,9% patients, moderate in 20% and mild in 27,1% patients (mean Apnea Hypopnea Index of 35,2 +/- 23,8/hour). Among the studied individuals 52,3% showed CVD, being Arterial Hypertension (AH) the most common disease (45,8%). Acute Myocardial Infarction appeared in 6,5% and Angina in 3,9% cases. The majority of the patients (67,1%) were obese (Body Mass Index - BMI>30). The mean BMI was 33,1 +/- 6,34. A significant (31%) number of patients reported Lipid Disorders and 11% reported Diabetes mellitus. The majority (51,3%) of patients referred smoking habits. Severity of OSA (evaluated by AHI) was significantly higher in women with AH (p= 0,033) and significantly lower in patients who developed Cerebrovascular Disease (CeVD) (p = 0,036).

The studied population presented a high prevalence of CVD, being the severity of OSA significantly higher in women with AH. The increased prevalence of CVD in patients with OSA has been documented in recent epidemiologic studies. The physiopathologic mechanisms underlying this association, certainly, deserve further investigation.