Treatment Successful in Reversing Atherosclerosis in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

According to a new study conducted by Brazilian researchers, early signs of atherosclerosis in obstructive sleep apnea can successfully be treated with a new treatment known as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

The study has been published the October issue of the prestigious medical journal American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Luciano F. Drager, M.D., of the University of São Paulo, and colleagues conducted a carefully controlled trial over four months. The trial showed that CPAP therapy reduced carotid intima-media thickness by 9% and improved arterial stiffness by 10% among men with severe sleep apnea. Both, carotid intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness are indicators of atherosclerosis.

The trial started examining about 400 people who has 30 apnea and hypopnea events per hour during sleep tests at the Hypertension Unit and Sleep Laboratory, Pulmonary Division, Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil).

From these patients, only 24 were selected because they did not exhibit other atherosclerosis risk factors. The study included men under 60 years with a body mass index lower than 35 kg/m2 and with no diabetes, hypertension, cerebrovascular, heart disease, renal failure, or smoking history.

Participants were assigned randomly to two groups CPAP treatment and no treatment. They were carefully monitored during a four months period. Carotid intima-media thickness, arterial stiffness, carotid diameter, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, C-reactive protein, and catecholamines were determined at start and after 4 months.

Results showed that the CPAP group dropped the average apnea-hypopnea index 4.5 events per hour. Early vascular markers of atherosclerosis also decreased significantly.

More specifically the study found:

*Carotid intima-media thickness improved significantly from baseline to four months in the CPAP group (707 versus 645 µm)