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Effective Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Reduces Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

Middle-aged men with obstructive sleep apnea have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Effective treatment of obstructive sleep apnea can help eliminate this increase in risk, according to investigators.

The investigators, from the Sleep Laboratory of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, studied 60 men with and 122 men without obstructive sleep apnea. Subjects were 30 to 69 years old with a mean age of 46.8 years.

None of the men were diagnosed with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, psychiatric disorder, alcohol dependency or malignancy at the beginning of the study.

During the seven-year follow-up period, cardiovascular disease developed in 22 of 60 men (36.7 percent) with obstructive sleep apnea compared with eight of 122 men (6.6 percent) without obstructive sleep apnea.

The increased risk of cardiovascular disease in obstructive sleep apnea patients was independent of age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and smoking status.

Among 15 patients who received effective treatment for their obstructive sleep apnea, only one (6.6 percent) developed cardiovascular disease. In contrast, cardiovascular disease developed in 21 of 37 sleep apnea patients (56.8 percent) who received incomplete treatment.

Multiple regression analysis revealed that efficient treatment of obstructive sleep apnea was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2002; 166(2): 159-165. "Increased Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle-aged Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A 7-Year Follow-up"

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