title: Relation of elastic properties of pulmonary artery with left ventricular abnormalities and aortic stiffness in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea: A cross-sectional echocardiographic study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, the associations between pulmonary artery stiffness (PAS) and aortic stiffness, left ventricular diastolic parameters, and left ventricular mass (LVM) index in moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients without coexisting disorders were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 66 non-diabetic, non-hypertensive, and non-smoking volunteers were enrolled. Participants were categorized by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; event/hour). The control group was defined as no OSAS: AHI<5 (n=35), and OSAS group had moderate to severe OSAS: AHI>15 (n=31).Echocardiographic and biochemical tests, including measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP), were performed. PAS (kHz/s) was calculated by dividing the maximal frequency shift of the pulmonary flow by the acceleration time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAS (kHz/s), obtained by echocardiography, was statistically significantly higher in the OSAS group than the control group (28±5 vs 18±4, p<0.001), and was positively correlated with AHI, CRP, aortic stiffness index, E/E', and LVM index (p=0.034, p=0.039, p<0.001, p=0.040, and p<0.001, respectively), and negatively correlated with aortic strain (AS), aortic distensibility (AD), E/A, E'/A', and E' (p<0.001). Regression analyses indicated that CRP and PAS are independent predictors of aortic stiffness (p<0.05). E/A and LVM index were independent predictors of PAS (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased PAS is associated with aortic stiffness, left ventricular diastolic function, and increased LVM index. PAS may be a more effective indicator of aortic stiffness in OSAS patients than CRP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey. ihaltiparmak@gmail.com.
authors.forename: İbrahim Halil
authors.initials: İH
authors.lastname: Altıparmak
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Muslihittin Emre
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Erkuş
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Şehit Kamil State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Funda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yalçın
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Z Hasan Ali
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Sak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hatice
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sezen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Özgür
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Günebakmaz
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sezen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zekeriya
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Harran University Faculty of Medicine, Şanlıurfa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Recep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Demirbağ
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology*