title: Evaluation of association between obstructive sleep apnea and coronary risk scores predicted by tomographic coronary calcium scoring in asymptomatic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cross-sectional observational study is designed to evaluate direct effects of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) on presence and extent of coronary atherosclerosis by using tomographic coronary calcification scoring on a population asymptomatic for coronary artery disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven consecutive patients (49.17 ± 0.86 years) who were evaluated with sleep study for the suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome underwent tomographic coronary calcium scoring test. Cardiovascular risk factors, current medications and sleep study recordings of all patients were recorded. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Linear and logistic regression analyses were used for assessment of association between variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronary risk scores of patients, assessed by tomographic coronary calcium scoring, were observed to increase linearly from simple snoring group to severe OSA groups (p=0.046). When patients were classified according to their gender, AHI and parameters reflecting severity of OSA-related hypoxia were found to correlate significantly with coronary risk scores of women but not with scores of men. Linear regression analysis revealed age as the only independent associated variable with cardiovascular risk scores assessed by tomographic coronary calcification scoring (Beta coefficient: 0.27, 95% CI 0.007-0.087, p=0.018). Binary logistic regression analysis also revealed age as the only variable which independently predicted the presence of coronary calcification (OR:1.11, 95% CI 1.039-1.188, p=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that presence of OSA may contribute to coronary artery disease risk of patients in association with its severity; however, association between OSA and subclinical atherosclerosis seems to be primarily dependent on age.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Cardiology, Eskişehir Yunus Emre State Hospital, Eskişehir-Turkey. alperkepez@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Alper
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kepez
authors.forename: Elif Yelda Özgün
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Niksarlıoğlu
authors.forename: Tuncay
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hazırolan
authors.forename: Mutlu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hayran
authors.forename: Uğur
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kocabaş
authors.forename: Ahmet Uğur
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.forename: Kudret
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aytemir
authors.forename: Lale
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tokgözoğlu
authors.forename: Nasıh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nazlı
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*