Gene expression profiling of placentae from women with obesity and obstructive sleep apnoea.

BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently seen with atrial fibrillation (AF) and is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. However, the impact of OSA on in-hospital outcomes of patients with AF is unclear.MethodologyAll patients aged ≥18 admitted primarily for AF between January 2016 and December 2017 were identified in the National Inpatient Sample database. They were then categorized into those with OSA and those without OSA. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Unadjusted and adjusted analysis was performed on appropriate variables of interest.ResultsOf 156,521 primary AF hospitalizations, 15% of the patients had OSA. Baseline characteristics revealed no race disparity between the two groups. However, compared to those without OSA, the OSA group was younger and had a significantly higher proportion of males, obesity, heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Long-term anticoagulation and inpatient cardioversion were also higher in the OSA group. Following propensity matching, inpatient mortality was similar between the two groups [0.54% in OSA vs. 0.51% in non-OSA; adjusted odds ratio = 1.06 (95% confidence interval = 0.82-1.35)]. Similarly, OSA was not significantly associated with acute kidney injury, cardiac arrest, gastrointestinal bleed, acute stroke, or length of stay. However, the OSA group was less anemic and required fewer in-hospital blood transfusions.ConclusionsAlthough OSA is highly prevalent in AF patients, inpatient mortality and cardiovascular outcomes such as cardiac arrest, stroke, or major bleeding were similar in AF patients with or without concomitant OSA with no significant differences in length of stay.

Introduction Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States. We previously showed a high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among former National Football League (NFL) players. Further, we hypothesized that post-career OSA impacts CVD risk among retired professional athletes, even though these former NFL players are often near peak physical fitness for a significant portion of their lifespan. The Living Heart Foundation Heart-Obesity-Prevention-Education Group aimed to provide an in-depth health assessment for CVD risk factors among former NFL players to examine the role of OSA on blood pressure (BP) and echocardiographic measurements. Methods Forty-three former NFL players completed an at-home sleep study and outpatient health assessment to determine CVD risk including office BP and transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) measurements. Seated BP readings were made in triplicate, TTE measurements, including ejection fraction, left atrial size, left ventricular size and thickness, and ascending aortic diameter, were obtained in 17 former NFL players without OSA (age: 46±10 years, BMI: 32±5 kg/m2, apnea-hypopnea index: 3±1 events/hour) and 26 with OSA (age: 51±9 years, BMI: 33±5 kg/m2, apnea-hypopnea index: 17±12 events/hour). Independent sample t-tests were utilized to determine differences in blood pressure and TTE measurements between OSA and non-OSA groups (α=0.05). Results Systolic BP was similar in non-OSA vs. OSA groups (131±12 vs. 135±16 mmHg, p=0.443), while diastolic BP was higher in former NFL players with OSA (78±8 vs. 86±9 mmHg, p=0.007). Ejection fraction, left atrial size, left ventricular size, and left ventricular thickness were similar between groups (p>0.05 for all). However, ascending aortic diameter was modestly larger in former NFL players with OSA (3.3±0.19 vs. 3.5±0.40 cm, p=0.048). Conclusion These findings suggest OSA may be a primary driver of increased BP and increased aortic diameter in former NFL players, and impact cardiac structural health, suggesting augmented CVD risk in former NFL players. Future work is warranted to investigate impact of race and player position on OSA-mediated CVD risk in retired NFL players. Support (if any) NFL Players Association, NIH T32-DK007013, and the American Heart Association (24POST1241616)

Background:Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome are highly prevalent respiratory conditions. Their coexistence is referred to as the overlap syndrome. They are both related to pulmonary hypertension (PH) development. This study investigated the effects of OSA on PH in patients with COPD and the associated factors.Methods:Consecutive patients with stable COPD were recruited for an observational cross-sectional study from September 2016 to May 2018 at Peking University Third Hospital. In total, 106 patients with COPD were enrolled and performed home portable monitoring and echocardiography. OSA was defined by an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥10 events/h. Based on OSA absence or presence, patients were divided into the COPD with OSA and COPD without OSA groups. Factors affecting pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and PH were identified using univariate analysis and logistic regression models.Results:In the 106 patients with COPD, the mean age was 69.52 years, 91.5% were men, and the mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) percentage of predicted was 56.15%. Fifty-six (52.8%) patients with COPD were diagnosed with OSA, and 24 (22.6%) patients with COPD were diagnosed as PH. Compared with COPD without OSA group, the median PAP in COPD with severe OSA group increased by 5 mmHg (36.00 [26.00–50.00] mmHg vs. 31.00 [24.00–34.00] mmHg, P = 0.036). COPD with percent of night-time spent with oxygen saturation below 90% (T90) > 10% group had higher PAP than COPD with T90 ≤ 1% group (36.00 [29.00–50.00)] mmHg vs. 29.00 [25.50–34.00] mmHg, F = 7.889, P = 0.007). Univariate analysis revealed age, FEV1% predicted, T90, and Charlson index had statistically significant effects on PH. Multiple regression analysis showed a significant and independent effect of both FEV1% predicted (odds ratio [OR] = 3.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–10.46; P = 0.028) and AHI (OR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.09–19.35; P = 0.034) on PH.Conclusions:Patients with COPD with OSA are more susceptible to PH, which is associated with declining lung function and increased severity of OSA. Thus, nocturnal hypoxemia and OSA in elderly patients with COPD should be identified and treated.

Purpose: This study was intended to perform a cephalometric comparison between the patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The factors influencing the OSA in the lateral cephalogram were also investigated. Methods: Fifty patients who had visited the Sleep Disorder Clinic at the Ajou University Hospital and evaluated with the polysomnograph (PSG) and cephalogram, were included in the study. The patients had the apnea-hypopnea episode over 5 times per hour (apnea-hypopnea index <TEX>$[AHI</TEX><TEX>]</TEX><TEX>{\geq}5$</TEX>) were diagnosed as OSA after the overnight PSG. To evaluate the hard and soft tissue profiles, the cephalometric radiograms were taken at the maximal intercuspation. The correlation between the patient's age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and AHI was inspected in the OSA and control group. The difference between the OSA and control group was evaluated (Mann-Whitney U Test). The cephalometric influencing factors to OSA were analyzed (Pearson's correlation coefficient) statistically using SPSS statistics. Results: The OSA Group had a significantly higher BMI than the control group. The mean lower facial height (ANS-Me) was longer in the OSA group; however, statistically significant difference was not detected in the anteroposterior craniofacial measurements. The distance between mandibular plane and hyoid bone of the OSA group was significantly longer than that of the control group. The hyoid position (MP-Hyoid) had a positive correlation between AHI (P<0.001). However, the measurements of oropharyngeal airway were not different between the two groups. The hypothesis, that the antero-posteriorly narrow oropharyngeal airway may aggravate the airway resistance and give rise to a higher AHI, was rejected in the study. Conclusion: We suggest that the lateral cephalogram may be utilized as a useful method to evaluate OSA. The patients with a lower hyoid position can be expected to have higher risks of OSA. However, a comprehensive intraoral inspection, including the soft palate and tonsilar hypertrophy, is emphasized, as the lateral cepahlogram cannot visualize the oropharyngeal status completely.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by repetitive partial and/or complete airway collapse of the upper airway. This disorder significantly increases the risk for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and heart failure. The repetitive respiratory effort against a closed airway has been shown to result altered hemodynamic variables, suggesting cardiovascular remodeling. To date, these findings have only been shown at rest. Whether these alterations manifest during exercise has not been examined. PURPOSE: To determine the effect that OSA has on hemodynamic variables during steady-state exercise compared to non-OSA controls. METHODS: Subjects were classified as OSA (N=21) or controls (N=21) based on an overnight, at-home screening device. Cardiovascular hemodynamic variables were assessed using an non-invasive, impedance cardiography device at rest and during a submaximal treadmill exercise trial. Subjects exercised for 5 minutes at 70% of predicted VO2 Reserve (VO2R). Hemodynamic variables included cardiac output, stroke volume, ejection fraction, systemic vascular resistance, contractility index (CTi) and end-diastolic volume (EDV). RESULTS: Control subjects were significantly younger (28.1 ± 11.5 vs. 41.8 ± 12.8) and had a lower BMI (28.5 ± 3.2 vs. 31.6 ± 5.3) than the OSA group. After adjusting for age and BMI, no hemodynamic variables differed at rest between groups. With exercise, however, OSA subjects had a lower CTi (268.9 ± 76.2 vs. 407.5 ± 142.7, P < 0.05) and a higher EDV (156.8 ± 32.9 vs. 122.6 ± 23.8, P = 0.03). No other hemodynamic variables differed with exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the presence of OSA results in alterations in cardiovascular exercise hemodynamics, suggestive of remodeling of the myocardium. The CTi represents the maximal velocity of ejected blood flow, a surrogate for contractility, which was attenuated in the OSA group. This decreased contractility likely contributed to the decreased EDV also observed. These findings suggest that OSA may impact exercise capacity and contribute to the the increased risk for CVD and heart failure previously established.

Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Diabetic Retinopathy Progression and Systemic Complications

Objective:To explore the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) and renal function. Method:We collected the clinical data of 487 patients who underwent sleep monitoring in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 and excluded history of chronic heart disease, acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, and pyelonephritis. Among the 487 patients, 54 were in nonOSA control group and 433 were in OSA group, including 64 patients with mild OSA, 77 patients with moderate OSA, 108 patients with severe OSA, and 188 patients with extremly severe OSA. The eGFR was calculated using an equation combined serum creatinine and cystatin C. Then propensity score matching(PSM) was used to reduce differences in confounders among groups. The differences of creatinine, cystatin and eGFR between the control group and different degrees of OSA were compared, and the relationship between OSA severity and renal dysfunction was analyzed.Result:There was no statistically significant difference in creatinine between the OSA group and the control group. Serum cystatin C levels in the moderate OSA group and the extremly severe OSA group were higher compared with the control group(0.90±0.18)mg/L, (0.82±0.21) mg/L,P=0.026;(0.92±0.22) mg/L,(0.82±0.21) mg/L,P=0.006,there was no statistically significant difference in cystatin C level of mild OSA group or severe OSA group compared with the control group.The eGFR levels in the moderate OSA group and extremly severe OSA group were lower than that in the control group, 100.64±16.09, 108.57±19.31,P=0.012; 102.03±18.39, 108.57±19.31, P=0.024.After matching with the PSM, the serum cystatin C levels in the moderate OSA group and in the extremely severe OSA group were higher compared with the control group, (0.91±0.19) mg/L,P=0.028;(0.91±0.23) mg/L,P=0.031;(0.82±0.21) mg/L, but only in moderate OSA group, eGFR was lower than the control group,100.86±17.31,108.57±19.31,P<0.05. Conclusion: The renal function of OSA patients has different degrees of impairment. Renal function impairment and the severity of OSA do not show a single linear relationship.

Objective To examine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to evaluate the relationship of OSA with inflammatory biomarkers in ACS patients. Methods Patients with ACS treated at Beijing Anzhen Hopital from June 2015 to May 2017 were enrolled. Subjects were evaluated for OSA by sleep study, and were divided into a normal-mild OSA group (Apnea Hypopnea Index, AHI < 15 times/h) and a moderate-severe OSA group (AHI≥15 times/h). Laboratory examination and sleep study were monitored to analyze the effects of OSA on biomarkers by LSD-t test, Mann-whitney U test, or Chi-square test. Correlation analysis was performed to analyze the association of OSA with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by Spearman correlation anaylsis. Results A cohort of 836 patients with ACS were enrolled including 408 patients in the normal-mild OSA group and 428 patients in the moderate-severe OSA group. The levels of leukocyte(×109L) [7.78 (6.33, 9.86) vs 7.29 (6.01, 9.16), P=0.006], neutrophils(×109L) [5.05 (3.84, 7.23) vs 4.80 (3.74, 6.66), P=0.044], monocytes(×109L) [0.42 (0.33, 0.54) vs 0.39 (0.31, 0.51), P=0.033], hs-CRP(mg/L) [3.18 (1.10, 11.52) vs 1.78 (0.65, 6.46), P<0.01], fibrinogen(g/L) [3.17 (2.87, 3.74) vs 2.97 (2.59, 3.50), P=0.002], and uric acid(μmol/L) [360 (302, 422) vs 341(283, 407), P=0.006] in the moderate-severe OSA group were significant higher than those in the normal-mild OSA group. AHI (correlation coefficient=0.171, R2=0.020, P<0.01), ODI (correlation coefficient = 0.201, R2=0.027, P<0.01), and TSaO2 < 90% (correlation coefficient = 0.105, R2=0.005, P<0.01) were positively correlated with hs-CRP; minimal SaO2 (correlation coefficient=-0.100, R2=0.001, P=0.008) and mean SaO2 (correlation coefficient = -0.127, R2= 0.006, P<0.01) were negatively correlated with hs-CRP. Conclusions For patients with ACS, the level of inflammatory markers in the moderate-severe OSA group is significantly higher than that in the normal-mild OSA group. Hs-CRP is significantly associated with the severity of OSA. Diagnosis and monitoring of OSA should be considered in ACS management in the future. Key words: Acute coronary syndrome; Obstructive sleep apnea; Inflammatory marker; C-reactive protein

It is unclear whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is independently associated with increased levels of the acute-phase reactant C-reactive protein (CRP). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between OSA and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) levels according to the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). This study recruited 245 male bus drivers from one transportation company in Taiwan. Each participant was evaluated by a polysomnography (PSG) test, blood lipids examination, and hs-CRP. Severity of OSA was categorized according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Subjects were categorized into severe OSA group (n = 44; 17.9%), moderate and mild OSA group (n = 117; 47.8%), and non-OSA group (n = 84; 34.3%). AHI had a significant association with hs-CRP (β = 0.125, p = 0.009) adjusting for age, smoking, drinking, and MetS status. Hs-CRP was elevated with severe OSA (β = 0.533, p = 0.005) even adjusting for BMI and MetS. Moreover, there was an independent effect for adjusted odds ratios (AORs) between the stratification of the severity for OSA and MetS. Elevated hs-CRP level is associated with severe OSA, independent of known confounders. The effect of OSA in CRP is independent of MetS was identified.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with obesity, sympathetic activation, systemic inflammation, and cardiovascular morbidity. Obesity, beta-adrenergic agonists, and inflammation are linked to decreased expression and/or secretion of an adipose tissue-derived antiatherogenic hormone, adiponectin. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether OSA affected plasma levels of adiponectin, which might help explain OSA-associated cardiovascular morbidity. We randomly selected 68 otherwise healthy male subjects, either with moderate/severe OSA [apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)>or=20; n=35] or without OSA (AHI<or=5; n=33). The diagnosis of OSA was made based on prospective full polysomnography. Adiponectin was measured before polysomnography between 8 and 10 pm. AHI was higher in the OSA group (49.5+/-4.4 vs. 2.9+/-0.4 events/h; p<0.001). OSA subjects were also more obese, with greater BMI (33+/-1 vs. 30+/-1; p=0.016) and percentage body fat (29+/-1% vs. 26+/-1%; p=0.030). Adiponectin levels were 7.67+/-0.73 and 6.33+/-0.51 microg/mL in the OSA and non-OSA groups, respectively, and this difference was significant in covariate analysis (taking into account age, hemodynamic characteristics, measures of body fat, and OSA severity) (p=0.009). After excluding from both groups the subjects with extreme BMI, such that the OSA and non-OSA study cohorts had similar BMI and percentage body fat, subjects with OSA had significantly higher plasma adiponectin (8.49+/-0.92 vs. 6.32+/-0.55 microg/mL; p=0.042), differences also evident in covariate analysis (p=0.017). Plasma adiponectin levels are elevated in otherwise healthy subjects with OSA. Therefore, low adiponectin is unlikely to explain the association between OSA and cardiovascular disease.

Background: The incidence of morbid obesity is increasing and has led to an increase in bariatric procedures and previous studies have shown that 71% of these patients suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Patients with OSA have a higher rate of postoperative complications. We investigated if patients with OSA undergoing laparoscopic gastric bypass surgery have an increased risk of postoperative respiratory events. In this observational study we examined the data of 89 consecutive patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery.Methods: All patients scheduled for gastric bypass surgery between 7/28/2010 and 02/15/2011 were enrolled and managed according to our routine clinical protocol (48 with OSA / 41 without OSA (NOSA)). Depending on the patient’s preoperative compliance with CPAP therapy, they were further assigned into a compliant (OSAc) and noncompliant (OSAn) group. A respiratory event was defined as a deviation from the regular postoperative management.Results: Both OSA and NOSA groups were similar based on clinical characteristics and narcotic consumption. Fourteen patients (29.2%) suffered from a respiratory event in the OSA group and 8 patients (19.5%) in the NOSA group (p=0.29). Patients compliant with continuous positive airway pressure CPAP had a similar complication rate to patients without OSA (p=0.96). 53.8% of patients with OSA that were noncompliant with CPAP therapy (OSAn) had a respiratory event in the direct postoperative period. This is statistically significant in comparison to patients diagnosed with OSA that are compliant with CPAP (OSAc) (p=0.03)Conclusion: It may be beneficial to encourage OSA patients to use CPAP preoperatively to reduce postoperative respiratory events. Furthermore, adequately treated OSA may not be an independent risk factor for postoperative respiratory events.

Insomnia and snoring are common sleep disorders. The aim was to investigate the association of having a combination of insomnia symptoms and snoring with comorbidity and daytime sleepiness. The study population comprised 25,901 participants (16-75 years, 54.4% women) from 4 Swedish cities, who answered a postal questionnaire that contained questions on snoring, insomnia symptoms (difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep and/or early morning awakening), smoking, educational level, and respiratory and nonrespiratory disorders. Snoring was reported by 4,221 (16.2%), while 9,872 (38.1%) reported ≥ 1 insomnia symptom. A total of 2,150 (8.3%) participants reported both insomnia symptoms and snoring. The association with hypertension (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-1.6), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (adjusted OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.4), asthma (adjusted OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.6-2.3), daytime sleepiness (adjusted OR, 7.9; 95% CI, 7.1-8.8), and the use of hypnotics (adjusted OR, 7.5; 95% CI, 6.1-9.1) was highest for the group with both insomnia symptoms and snoring. Participants with both snoring and insomnia run an increased risk of hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, daytime sleepiness, and use of hypnotics. It is important to consider snoring in patients seeking medical assistance for insomnia and, vice versa, in patients with snoring inquiring about insomnia. Hägg SA, Ilieva E, Ljunggren M, etal. The negative health effects of having a combination of snoring and insomnia. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(4):973-981.

Synergic Integration of the miRNome, Machine Learning and Bioinformatics for the Identification of Potential Disease-Modifying Agents in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a major complication of pregnancy. GDM is associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO). The purpose of this study was to assess the association between third-trimester platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) concentration and the risk of APO in GDM pregnant women. This study selected 406 non-elderly gestational diabetes patients diagnosed in the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from May 2021 to February 2023 as the research objects. According to the presence or absence of APO, they were divided into an APO group (n = 171) and a non-APO group (n = 235). Logistic regression model to evaluate the correlation between PLR and hsCRP and APO in women with GDM; Restricted cubic spline analyses was used to explore nonlinear correlations between PLR or hsCRP and the risk of APO; ROC curve analysis of the diagnostic performance of PLR and hsCRP for APO in women with GDM. APO occurred in 171 of the 406 included participants. Compared with the non-APO group, patients in the APO group had higher PLR and hsCRP levels. The incidence of APO was positively associated with PLR and the hsCRP level in each logistic regression model (P < 0.05). After adjusting for all the risk factors included in this study, restricted cubic spline analyses found that the PLR and the hsCRP level were positively associated with the risk of APO. The levels of PLR and hsCRP in the third trimester are related to the occurrence of APO in women with GDM, and high levels of PLR and hsCRP may indicate the occurrence of APO.

Left Atrial Volume and Function in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Assessed by Real-Time Three-Dimensional Echocardiography