Effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Vascular Function in a Real-Life Cohort of Elderly Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and has a detrimental effect on vascular function, in particular on arterial stiffness and endothelial function. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold-standa...

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Main Authors: Mara Volpentesta, Valentino Condoleo, Alberto Panza, Giandomenico Severini, Luca Soraci, Cataldo Rotondo, Giuseppe Armentaro, Corrado Pelaia, Vanessa Teresa Fiorentino, Francesco Andreozzi, Giorgio Sesti, Andrea Corsonello, Angela Sciacqua
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Biomedicines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/11/2563
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Summary:Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and has a detrimental effect on vascular function, in particular on arterial stiffness and endothelial function. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold-standard therapy for OSAS and its effects on arterial stiffness and endothelial function have been demonstrated in non-elderly patients. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of one year of CPAP treatment on arterial stiffness, through assessment of carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), and on endothelial function, through the reactive hyperaemia index (RHi), in a real-life cohort of elderly patients with moderate-to-severe OSAS and several comorbidities. Methods: In this nonrandomised prospective study, we enrolled 469 consecutive elderly patients affected by moderate-to-severe OSAS distributed in two groups: CPAP-treated (<i>n</i> = 225) and untreated patients (<i>n</i> = 244). Results: At one-year follow-up, in the treated group emerged an important improvement in poligraphics (AHI, ODI, TC90, mean SpO<sub>2</sub>%), laboratory (HOMA index, eGFR, hs-CRP) and vascular function parameters: cf-PWV. The stepwise multivariate linear regression demonstrated a significant correlation between the delta of the polygraph parameters and the delta of PWV and RHi. Conclusions: Our study confirmed the favourable effects of CPAP therapy in a cohort of elderly patients affected by OSAS and several comorbidities on sleep respiratory parameters and vascular function; early diagnosis and treatment with CPAP might be beneficial to delay or prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular events in these groups of patients.
ISSN:2227-9059