title: Cerebral hemodynamic changes at basilar artery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. A case-control study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized in polysomnography by recurrent airflow obstruction during sleep. The underlying pathogenic mechanisms of neuropsychological and cerebrovascular events in patients with OSAS have not been clarified unequivocally.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case-control study to evaluate the cerebral vasomotor reactivity assessed by breath-holding maneuver at basilar artery in patients with OSAS compared to control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 76 patients with OSAS and 76 controls. Vascular risk factors (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, smoking), age, gender, coronary, and peripheral arterial diseases were similar in both groups. Patients with OSAS had breath-holding test values (31.9 ± 13.35%) lower than controls (39.06 ± 13.16%), (P = 0.001). Patients with OSAS had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure both basal and apnea and also a higher basal heart rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Altered cerebral hemodynamics together with increased blood pressure values in patients with OSAS may play a role in the association between this disease and the development of cerebrovascular events. This implies that this disease should be identified through guide symptoms such as snoring, sleep apnea, and daytime sleepiness in all patients who consult for these symptoms to reduce the number of cerebrovascular events.
authors.affiliation: Hospital San Pedro de Alcántara, Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Jiménez Caballero
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coloma Navarro
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Segura Martín
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ayo Martín
mesh_terms: D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D062485:Breath Holding; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: basilar artery; breath-holding test; cerebral hemodynamic; obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; pulsatility index