Carotid artery intima-media thickness in hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnea

• Published in: Advances in experimental medicine and biology Vol. 839; p. 61
• Main Authors: Kostrzewska, M, Piorunek, T, Hoffmann, K, Batura-Gabryel, H, Cofta, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; Carotid Artery, Common - pathology; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Case-Control Studies; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - diagnosis; Hypertension - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Polysomnography; Risk Factors; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - complications; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnosis; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - pathology
• ISSN: 0065-2598
• DOI: 10.1007/5584_2014_45

In this study we determined the relationship between the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP), and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) in 30 hypertensive male patients, aged 30-70, with newly diagnosed OSA (15 with moderate OSA - Group A, and 15 with severe OSA - Group B) and 20 non-OSA hypertensive individuals (Group C). We revealed significant differences in cIMT between Groups B and C (0.9 ± 0.3 vs. 0.6 ± 0.1 mm and 1.0 ± 0.4 vs. 0.6 ± 0.2 mm in the right and left common carotid arteries, respectively; p <0.05). Increased carotid intima-media thickness in severe OSA was accompanied by higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures compared with both moderate OSA and control subjects. We conclude that in severe OSA increased blood pressure goes in tandem with the thickness of carotid intima-media, which helps explain increased cardiovascular risk in these patients.