title: Cardiovascular profile in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for several cardiovascular conditions including increased cardiovascular mortality. It is therefore essential to know the major cardiovascular effects of sleep-disordered breathing during a clinical evaluation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the cardiovascular characteristics of patients with OSA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients underwent baseline polysomnography and were consecutively selected from the database of the Sleep Institute between March 2007 and March 2009. All patients were instructed to attend the clinic for blood collection, physical examination, 12-lead electrocardiogram, spirometry, cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a treadmill and transthoracic echocardiography. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee and recorded at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ under number: NCT00768625.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 261 patients and 108 controls. The main characteristics of patients with OSA were: obesity, hypertension, low plasma levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and increased left atrial diameter compared with controls (3.75 ± 0.42; 3.61 ± 0.41, p = 0.001), respectively. These associated characteristics correspond to a 16.6 increase in the likelihood of OSA regardless of reporting any symptoms of this disorder, such as sleepiness or snoring.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the sample studied, the mostly found cardiovascular profile of patients with OSA was: obesity, hypertension, low plasma levels of HDL and left atrial diameter increased.
authors: Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, SP, Brazil. fatimacintra@cardiol.br
authors: Fátima Dumas
authors: FD
authors: Cintra
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Tufik
authors: Angelo de
authors: Ad
authors: Paola
authors: Márcia C
authors: MC
authors: Feres
authors: Luciane
authors: L
authors: Melo-Fujita
authors: Wercules
authors: W
authors: Oliveira
authors: Camila
authors: C
authors: Rizzi
authors: Dalva
authors: D
authors: Poyares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013147:Spirometry; D013997:Time Factors