title: Relationship between atherosclerosis and the sleep apnea syndrome: an intravascular ultrasound study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) is a predictive factor of cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that SAHS could influence coronary atherosclerosis plaque volume as assessed by 3-dimensional intravascular ultrasound (3D-IVUS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participating patients were identified from 2 studies assessing the progression of atherosclerosis in stable coronary artery disease using coronary 3D-IVUS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen patients, aged 61+/-8 years, with a body mass index of 29+/-5 kg/m(2) were studied. Increased apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >or=15 was found in 12/19 patients (63%). Patients with AHI>or=15 had larger coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume than patients with AHI<15 (238+/-69 mm(3) vs 169+/-64 mm(3), p=0.047) and the difference was even larger in patients with obstructive apnea/hypopnea episodes compared to patients without (243+/-70 mm(3) vs 170+/-59 mm(3), p=0.03). There was a significant positive correlation between obstructive AHI and coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume (r=0.6, p=0.01). A significant positive correlation was also demonstrated between respiratory arousal index and coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume (r=0.6, p=0.02) and between total arousal index and coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume (r=0.5, p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with stable coronary artery disease, there was a significant relationship between the frequency of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea episodes and sleep fragmentation and the importance of coronary atherosclerotic plaque volume. 3D-IVUS is well suited to correlate coronary atherosclerosis and sleep breathing disorders at early stages.
authors.affiliation: Laval Hospital/Quebec Heart-Lung Institute, Quebec City, Canada.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turmel
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sériès
authors.forename: Louis-Philippe
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Boulet
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poirier
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Tardif
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodés-Cabeau
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Larose
authors.forename: Olivier F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Bertrand
mesh_terms: D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional