title: Endothelial function and carotid intima media thickness in obstructive sleep apnea without comorbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate endothelial function and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without comorbidities.
  
  
  METHODS
  It is an observational case control study in which endothelial function was assessed using flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT), and carotid artery ultrasound was used to measure CIMT in study group subjects that included 20 normotensive, non-diabetic, treatment naïve, and moderate to severe OSA patients, and 20 normotensive, non-diabetic, and non-OSA subjects served as a control group. Study was conducted in Polysomnography Laboratory, Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Hospital, New Delhi.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FMD was significantly lower in the moderate to severe OSA group compared to non-OSA group (mean ± SD, 8.3 ± 2.8 vs. 13.4 ± 4.1 %; p = 0.0001). Reactive hyperemia index (RHI) was also significantly lower in the OSA group (1.55 ± 0.27 vs. 2.01 ± 0.48, p = 0.0007). CIMT was observed to be significantly higher in the OSA group compared to the non-OSA group (0.54 ± 0.09 vs. 0.48 ± 0.08 mm; p = 0.049). In the OSA group, FMD, RHI, and CIMT did not show a significant correlation with OSA disease severity indices [apnea hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), and minimum O2saturation].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Endothelial function in macrovascular and microvascular circulation is significantly impaired in moderate to severe OSA patients without comorbidities. These patients also show evidence of subclinical atherosclerosis, in the form of increased CIMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Faraz A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Farooqui
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. sksharma.aiims@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Surendra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiodiagnosis, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Atin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Soneja
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Kalaivani
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mani
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Ragesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Radhakrishnan
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Nida
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Farooqui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000503:physiopathology; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Carotid intima media thickness; Endothelial function; Flow-mediated dilatation; Obstructive sleep apnea; Peripheral arterial tonometry; Reactive hyperemia index