Chest, Vol 102, 100-105, Copyright © 1992 by American College of Chest Physicians

ARTICLES

Ventricular function in snorers and patients with obstructive sleep apnea

P Hanly, Z Sasson, N Zuberi and M Alderson
Department of Medicine, Wellesley Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

We hypothesized that intermittent hypoxemia and increased ventricular afterload due to obstructive apnea during sleep (OSA) would cause chronic left ventricular dysfunction. Overnight polysomnography, M-mode and two-dimensional echo-Doppler studies while awake were performed on 51 consecutive snorers, 30 with OSA and 21 without apnea. Patients with previous myocardial infarction, awake hypoxemia or hypercapnia, or other causes of nocturnal hypoxemia were excluded. Echo-Doppler measurements included end-diastolic right and left ventricular dimensions and wall thickness, indices of left ventricular systolic performance (fractional shortening, ejection fraction and ejection time and diastolic performance, (isovolumic relaxation time, ratio of peak early [E] to late [A] diastolic transmitral flow and mitral pressure half-time). Both OSA patients and nonapneic snorers were of similar age. Although OSA patients were heavier, had a greater apnea-hypopnea index, and significant nocturnal hypoxemia, their echo-Doppler measurements were within normal limits and were not significantly different from nonapneic snorers. It is concluded that isolated obstructive sleep apnea does not cause chronic left ventricular dysfunction.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Romero-Corral, V. K. Somers, P. A. Pellikka, E. J. Olson, K. R. Bailey, J. Korinek, M. Orban, J. Sierra-Johnson, M. Kato, R. S. Amin, et al. Decreased Right and Left Ventricular Myocardial Performance in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Chest, December 1, 2007; 132(6): 1863 - 1870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. S. M. Shamsuzzaman, B. J. Gersh, and V. K. Somers Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Implications for Cardiac and Vascular Disease JAMA, October 8, 2003; 290(14): 1906 - 1914. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. V. Cloward, J. M. Walker, R. J. Farney, and J. L. Anderson Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Is a Common Echocardiographic Abnormality in Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Reverses With Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Chest, August 1, 2003; 124(2): 594 - 601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.-P. Laaban, S. Pascal-Sebaoun, E. Bloch, E. Orvoen-Frija, J.-M. Oppert, and G. Huchon Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Chest, October 1, 2002; 122(4): 1133 - 1138. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. W. H. Fung, T. S. T. Li, D. K. L. Choy, G. W. K. Yip, F. W. S. Ko, J. E. Sanderson, and D. S. C. Hui Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Associated With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Chest, February 1, 2002; 121(2): 422 - 429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				U. C. GUIDRY, L. A. MENDES, J. C. EVANS, D. LEVY, G. T. O'CONNOR, M. G. LARSON, D. J. GOTTLIEB, and E. J. BENJAMIN Echocardiographic Features of the Right Heart in Sleep-Disordered Breathing . The Framingham Heart Study Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 15, 2001; 164(6): 933 - 938. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. NIROUMAND, R. KUPERSTEIN, Z. SASSON, and P. J. HANLY Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Left Ventricular Mass and Diastolic Function Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., June 1, 2001; 163(7): 1632 - 1636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Kraiczi, K. Caidahl, A. Samuelsson, Y. Peker, and J. Hedner Impairment of Vascular Endothelial Function and Left Ventricular Filling : Association With the Severity of Apnea-Induced Hypoxemia During Sleep Chest, April 1, 2001; 119(4): 1085 - 1091. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Wright, R. Johns, I. Watt, A. Melville, and T. Sheldon Health effects of obstructive sleep apnoea and the effectiveness of continuous positive airways pressure: a systematic review of the research evidence BMJ, March 22, 1997; 314(7084): 851 - 851. [Abstract] [Full Text]