Effect of obstructive sleep apnea in severity and short-term prognosis of acute coronary syndrome

Background: The role of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the prognosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is under debate. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of OSA in severity and short-term prognosis in patients admitted for ACS. Methods: We included nonsleepy patients admitted for ACS. All patients underwent a polygraphy (Embletta; ResMed, Spain) in the first 72 h after admission.The echocardiographic evaluation and Killip classification was performed during patient admission. Severity and short-term prognosis of ACS were evaluated during the hospitalization period. Results: Of the 431 patients included in the study, 213 suffered OSA ((mean±SD) apnea-hipopnea index (AHI); 32±15 h-1) and 218 presented an AHI < 15 h-1.Gender distribution and age were similar between OSA patients and controls (82% male in both groups, and 60.5±11 vs. 58.5±12 years old, respectively). Compared to controls, patients with OSA had higher prevalence of arterial hypertension (54 vs. 40 %, p=0.006), and body mass index (28.6±6 vs. 25.5±7 Kg·m-2, p<0.001). The number of affected vessels was independently associated with the presence of OSA. There were no differences between groups for other variables related to ACS severity (ejection fraction, Killip scale, number of stents implanted, peak plasma troponin, or CPK-MB plasma levels). Short-term prognosis (days of stay in the coronary unit, days of hospitalization, complications and mortality during hospitalization) was similar between groups. Conclusion: Obstructive sleep apnea does not influence severity of ACS and short-term prognosis.