Ivana Tomečková1, Pavol Pobeha1, Miriam Kozárová2, Mária Rašiová2, Ivana Paraničová1, Pavol Joppa1, Ružena Tkáčová1
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is characterized by repeated episodes of total or partial upper airway occlusion during sleep resulting in apnoeic or hypopnoeic episodes. Atherosclerosis, arterial hypertension and metabolic syndrome are the most prevalent comorbidities in OSA patients. Repetitive cycles of hypoxaemia and reoxygenation are accompanied by increased sympathetic activity, oxidative stress, activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system that contribute to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. These mechanisms lead to increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with OSA. The aim of our study was to investigate relationships between OSA severity and carotid intima-media thickness and parameters of endothelial function. We enrolled 77 subjects who underwent complex overnight polysomnography, carotid ultrasound, and assessment of endothelial function by peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Based on apnoea-hypopnoea index, subjects were divided into 3 groups: control group – no OSA (n = 10), patients with mild or moderate OSA (n = 34) and patients with severe OSA (n = 33). Intima-media thickness of both the right and left common carotid artery, and their mean value increased from the control group to mild-moderate OSA and to severe OSA (p = 0.045, p = 0.033, p = 0.023, respectively). Post hoc analyses confirmed significantly higher parameters of intima-media thickness in patients with severe OSA compared to subjects with no OSA (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Assessment of PAT or PWV did not identify significant differences between the study groups. In agreement with literary data our results suggest that OSA contributes to subclinical atherosclerosis.