Association between dietary patterns and the risk of all-cause mortality among old adults with obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with the increased cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. And anti-inflammatory dietary has potential to improve the prognosis of OSA. This study aimed to investigate the association of anti-inflammatory dietary patterns with all-cause mortality among individuals with OSA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study involved 1522 older adults with OSA from 2005 to 2008 in the National Health and Nutrition Examinations Survey (NHANES). Mortality status was determined by routine follow-up through December 31, 2019, using the National Death Index. Anti-inflammatory dietary patterns included Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMED), Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), and Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010). Weighted Cox proportional hazard regression models were performed to investigate the association between anti-inflammatory dietary pattern and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 131 months, 604 participants were recorded all-cause mortality. The mean age of OSA patients was 68.99 years old, of whom 859 were male (52.34%). Higher adherence of aMED (HR = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.48 to 0.78) and HEI-2015 (HR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.60 to 0.95) were associated with lower all-cause mortality risk in the elderly with OSA. Conversely, no association was found between AHEI-2010 dietary pattern and all-cause mortality in individuals with OSA. In the component analysis of aMED, it was found that a higher intake of vegetables and olive oil potentially contributes to the reduction all-cause mortality risk in the elderly with OSA (HR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.48 to 0.76; HR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.63 to 0.71). CONCLUSION: Higher adherence to the aMED and the HEI-2015 was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in OSA. Future interventions in the elderly with OSA should considering adopting anti-inflammatory dietary patterns.

Remission of Obesity-Related Sleep Apnea and Its Effect on Mortality and Cardiovascular Events after Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: A Propensity-Matched Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Although obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among patients with obesity and linked to cardiovascular disease, there is a lack of studies evaluating the effects of reaching remission from OSA after metabolic and bariatric surgery. STUDY DESIGN: A registry-based nationwide study including patients operated with sleeve gastrectomy or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass from 2007 until 2019 in Sweden. Patients who reached remission of OSA were compared with those who did not reach remission and a propensity score-matched control group of patients without OSA at the time of operation. The main outcome was overall mortality, and secondary outcome was major cardiovascular events (MACEs). RESULTS: In total, 5,892 patients with OSA and 11,552 matched patients without OSA completed a 1-year follow-up and were followed for a median of 6.8 years. Remission of OSA was seen for 4,334 patients (74%). Patients in remission had a lower risk for overall mortality (cumulative incidence 6.0% vs 9.1%; p < 0.001) and MACE (cumulative incidence 3.4% vs 5.8%; p < 0.001) at 10 years after operation compared with those who did not reach remission. The risk was similar to that of the control group without OSA at baseline (cumulative incidence for mortality 6%, p = 0.493, for MACE 3.7%, p = 0.251). CONCLUSIONS: The remission rate of OSA was high after metabolic and bariatric surgery. This was in turn associated with reduced risk for death and MACE compared with patients who did not achieve remission reaching a similar risk seen among patients without OSA at baseline. A diligent follow-up of patients who do not reach remission remains important.

The overlap of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea in hospitalizations for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: This study examined in-hospital outcomes for patients with both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), also known as COPD-OSA overlap syndrome, during hospitalizations for acute exacerbation of COPD. METHODS: The National Inpatient Sample was used to examine in-hospital mortality, length of stay, costs, and utilization of supportive ventilation in patients with COPD-OSA overlap during acute exacerbation of COPD hospitalizations. A 1-to-1 matched case-control design was utilized to match patients with and without OSA. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to examine mortality and ventilatory support, while controlling for potentially confounding diagnoses. RESULTS: COPD-OSA overlap was associated with longer median length of stay (4 days OSA, 3 days non-OSA; P < .001), higher mean costs ($32,197 OSA, $29,011 non-OSA; P < .001), increased utilization of noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation (13.92% OSA, 6.78% non-OSA; P < .001), and when required for greater than 96 hours, earlier initiation of mechanical ventilation (2.53 days OSA, 3.35 days non-OSA; P = .001). However, COPD-OSA overlap was associated with reduced mortality (0.81% OSA, 1.05% non-OSA; P < .001). These differences in mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 0.650; 95% confidence interval: 0.624-0.678) and noninvasive positive-pressure ventilation usage (adjusted odds ratio: 1.998; 95% confidence interval: 1.970-2.026) remained when adjusted for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COPD-OSA overlap have higher utilization of supportive ventilation and longer length of stay during acute exacerbation of COPD hospitalizations, contributing to higher costs. The diagnosis of OSA is associated with reduced mortality in these hospitalizations, which may be related to greater utilization of supportive ventilation when OSA is recognized. CITATION: De la Fuente JRO, Greenberg P, Sunderram J. The overlap of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea in hospitalizations for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(6):863-870.

Objective Sleep Duration and All-Cause Mortality Among People With Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Importance: The association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality remains unclear among people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Objective: To explore whether there is an association between sleep duration and all-cause mortality among people with OSA. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study investigated participants with OSA from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) in which participants were enrolled between 1995 and 1998 with questionnaires and polysomnography (PSG) assessment and followed up for a median of 11.8 years. SHHS was a multicenter community-based study; 2574 participants with OSA defined by apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) greater than or equal to 15 from SHHS were found; all of them had all-cause mortality data and were included in the study. Data were analyzed from November 2022 to October 2023. Exposures: Participants were divided into 4 groups with objective sleep duration of (1) at least 7 hours, (2) 6 to less than 7 hours, (3) 5 to less than 6 hours, and (4) less than 5 hours, which was determined by total sleep time on PSG at baseline. Main Outcomes and Measures: All-cause mortality was defined as deaths from any cause and its risk was compared among 4 OSA groups using Cox regression models. Results: A total of 2574 participants with OSA were included (1628 [63.2%] men and 946 [36.8%] women; mean [SD] age, 65.4 [10.7] years; 211 [8.2%] Black, 2230 [86.6%] White, 133 [5.2%] other race). Overall, 688 all-cause deaths were observed in participants. Compared with the group sleeping at least 7 hours, the groups sleeping 6 to less than 7 hours (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53 [95% CI, 1.13-2.07]), 5 to less than 6 hours (HR, 1.40 [95% CI, 1.03-1.90]), and less than 5 hours (HR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.20-2.24]) had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality independent of AHI. Sensitivity analyses were performed among participants with available data of positive airway pressure treatment during follow-up and the finding was mostly consistent, albeit the HR for the group of 5 to less than 6 hours was not statistically significant. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of 2574 participants with OSA, those with shorter objective sleep duration had higher risk of all-cause mortality independent of AHI compared with those sleeping at least 7 hours. Further studies would be needed to investigate health benefits of extending sleep length among people with OSA with short sleep duration.

Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement.

Importance: Current prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the US is not well established; however, based on cohort and survey data, in 2007-2010 the estimated prevalence of at least mild OSA (defined as an apnea-hypoxia index [AHI] ≥5) plus symptoms of daytime sleepiness among adults aged 30 to 70 years was 14% for men and 5% for women, and the estimated prevalence of moderate to severe OSA (defined as AHI ≥15) was 13% for men and 6% for women. Severe OSA is associated with increased all-cause mortality. Other adverse health outcomes associated with untreated OSA include cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular events, type 2 diabetes, cognitive impairment, decreased quality of life, and motor vehicle crashes. Objective: To update its 2017 recommendation, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review to evaluate the benefits and harms of screening for OSA in adults. Population: Asymptomatic adults (18 years or older) and adults with unrecognized symptoms of OSA. Evidence Assessment: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for OSA in the general adult population. Recommendation: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of screening for OSA in the general adult population. (I statement).

Comorbidity clusters in patients with moderate-to-severe OSA.

PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent and multifaceted disease. To date, the presence and severity of objectively identified comorbidities and their association with specific OSA phenotypes, CPAP adherence, and survival remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study is to cluster patients with OSA based on 10 clinically important objectively identified comorbidities, and to characterize the comorbidity clusters in terms of clinical and polysomnographic characteristics, CPAP adherence, and survival. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Seven hundred ten consecutive patients starting CPAP for moderate-to-severe OSA were included. Comorbidities were based on generally accepted cutoffs identified in the peer-reviewed literature. Self-organizing maps were used to order patients based on presence and severity of their comorbidities and to generate clusters. RESULTS: The majority of patients were men (80%). They were generally middle-aged (52 years) and obese (BMI: 31.5 kg/m2). Mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 41 ± 20 per h of sleep. More than 94% of the patients had one or more comorbidities with arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity being the most prevalent. Nine comorbidity clusters were identified. The clinical relevance of these comorbidity clusters was highlighted by the difference in symptoms, PSG parameters, and cardiovascular risk. Also, differences in CPAP adherence, improvements in ESS, and long-term survival were present between the clusters. CONCLUSION: Comorbidity prevalence in patients with OSA is high, and different comorbidity clusters, demonstrating differences in cardiovascular risk, CPAP adherence, and survival, can be identified. These results further substantiate the need for a comprehensive assessment of patients with OSA beyond the AHI.

Sleep Apnea-Specific Hypoxic Burden, Symptom Subtypes, and Risk of Cardiovascular Events and All-Cause Mortality.

Rationale: Data from population-based cohorts suggest that symptom subtypes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-specific hypoxic burden (HB) could help to better identify patients with OSA at high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate whether those new markers are associated with the risk of major adverse CV events (MACE) in clinical setting. Methods: Data from the Pays de la Loire cohort were linked to health administrative data to identify the occurrence of MACE (a composite outcome including all-cause mortality, acute myocardial infarction, stroke, and unplanned coronary revascularization) in patients with newly diagnosed OSA and no overt CV disease. Latent class analysis was used to identify subtypes based on eight clinically relevant variables. HB was defined as the total area under the respiratory event-related desaturation curve. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association of symptom subtypes and HB with MACE. Measurements and Main Results: Four symptom subtypes were identified (minimally symptomatic [22.0%], disturbed sleep [17.5%], excessively sleepy [49.8%], and moderately sleepy [10.6%]). After a median follow-up of 78 months (interquartile range, 52-109), 592 (11.05%) of 5,358 patients experienced MACE. In a fully adjusted model, HB and overall nocturnal hypoxemia assessed by sleep time with oxygen saturation <90% were the only predictors of MACE (hazard ratio, 1.21; 95% confidence interval, 1.07-1.38; and hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-1.55, respectively). The association appeared stronger toward younger patients and women. Conclusion: In clinical setting, patients with OSA who demonstrate elevated OSA-specific HB are at higher risk of a CV event and all-cause mortality. Symptom subtypes were not associated with MACE after adjustment for confounders.

Sex-differences in the effect of obstructive sleep apnea on patients hospitalized with pulmonary embolism and on in-hospital mortality.

We determined sex differences in the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among patients hospitalized with pulmonary embolism (PE) in Spain (2016-2018). We also compared outcomes according to the presence of OSA, and identified variables associated with in-hospital-mortality (IHM) after PE using the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database. We identified 46,794 hospital admissions for PE; of these, 5.47% had OSA. OSA was more prevalent among men than women (7.57% vs. 3.65%, p < 0.001), as in the general population. Propensity score matching did not reveal differences in concomitant conditions or procedures between patients with and without OSA, except for the use of non-invasive ventilation, which was more frequent in patients with OSA. IHM was similar in patients with and without OSA (3.58% vs. 4.31% for men and 4.39% vs. 4.93% for women; p > 0.05). Older age, cancer, atrial fibrillation, non-septic shock, and need for mechanical ventilation increased IHM in men and women with OSA hospitalized with PE. The logistic regression model showed no sex differences in IHM among patients with OSA.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Surgeon's Perspective.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complex medical disorder with significant impact on mortality, quality of life, and long-term cardiovascular outcomes. The apnea-hypopnea index does not correlate well with either quality-of-life measures or health outcomes, so other outcome measures must be evaluated in treatment of OSA. OSA can be successfully treated through behavioral, nonsurgical, and surgical methods with improvements in quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. Surgical intervention should be considered in patients who are noncompliant with or fail positive airway pressure use. As is true with PAP therapy, surgery for OSA improves mortality and symptoms of OSA even when the polysomnogram does not fully normalize.

Differential Perioperative Outcomes in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Obesity, or a Combination of Both Undergoing Open Colectomy: A Population-Based Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: An increasing body of evidence demonstrates an association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and adverse perioperative outcomes. However, large-scale data on open colectomies are lacking. Moreover, the interaction of obesity with OSA is unknown. This study examines the impact of OSA, obesity, or a combination of both, on perioperative complications in patients undergoing open colectomy. We hypothesized that while both obesity and OSA individually increase the likelihood for perioperative complications, the overlap of the 2 conditions is associated with the highest risk. METHODS: Patients undergoing open colectomies were identified using the national Premier Healthcare claims-based Database (2006-2016; n = 340,047). Multilevel multivariable models and relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) analysis quantified the impact of OSA, obesity, or both on length and cost of hospitalization, respiratory and cardiac complications, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, and inhospital mortality. RESULTS: Nine thousand twenty-eight (2.7%) patients had both OSA and obesity diagnoses; 10,137 (3.0%) had OSA without obesity; and 33,692 (9.9%) had obesity without OSA. Although there were overlapping confidence intervals in the binary outcomes, the risk increase was found highest for OSA with obesity, intermediate for obesity without OSA, and lowest for OSA without obesity. The strongest effects were seen for respiratory complications: odds ratio (OR), 2.41 (2.28-2.56), OR, 1.40 (1.31-1.49), and OR, 1.50 (1.45-1.56), for OSA with obesity, OSA without obesity, and obesity without OSA, respectively (all P < .0001). RERI analysis revealed a supraadditive effect of 0.51 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34-0.68) for respiratory complications, 0.11 (-0.04 to 0.26) for cardiac complications, 0.30 (0.14-0.45) for ICU utilization, 0.34 (0.21-0.47) for mechanical ventilation utilization, and 0.26 (0.15-0.37) for mortality in patients with both OSA and obesity, compared to the sum of the conditions' individual risks. Inhospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with both OSA and obesity (OR [CI], 1.21 [1.07-1.38]) but not in the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both OSA and obesity are individually associated with adverse perioperative outcomes, with a supraadditive effect if both OSA and obesity are present. Interventions, screening, and perioperative precautionary measures should be tailored to the respective risk profile. Moreover, both conditions appear to be underreported compared to the general population, highlighting the need for stringent perioperative screening, documentation, and reporting.

Prognostic Impact of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Patients Presenting with Acute Symptomatic Pulmonary Embolism.

BACKGROUND: In patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), there is a lack of comprehensive data on the prevalence and prognostic significance of pre-existing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: In this study of patients with PE from the Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE) registry, we assessed the prevalence of OSA, and the association between pre-existing OSA and the outcomes of all-cause mortality, PE-related mortality, recurrences, and major bleeding over 30 days after initiation of PE treatment. Additionally, we also examined rates of outcomes within 90 days and 1 year following the diagnosis of PE. RESULTS: Of 4,153 patients diagnosed with PE, 241 (5.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.1-6.6%) had pre-existing OSA. Overall, 166 (4.0%; 95% CI: 3.4-4.6%) died during the first 30 days of follow-up. In multivariable analysis, the OSA syndrome was not a significant predictor of death from any cause (odds ratio [OR]: 1.5; 95% CI: 0.8-2.9; p = 0.19). However, patients with pre-existing OSA had an increased PE-specific mortality (adjusted OR: 3.0; 95% CI: 1.3-6.8; p = 0.01) compared with those without OSA. OSA was not significantly associated with 30-day recurrent venous thromboembolism (adjusted OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.1-4.7; p = 0.65) or major bleeds (adjusted OR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.4-2.2; p = 1.0). Findings were similar at 90-day and 1-year follow-ups. CONCLUSION: In patients presenting with PE, pre-existing OSA is relatively infrequent. Patients with OSA were at increased risk of PE-related mortality when compared with those without OSA.

A systematic review of COVID-19 and obstructive sleep apnoea.

The aims of the study were to review the rapidly emerging COVID-19 literature to determine 1) the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and adverse COVID-19 outcomes and, 2) potential causal mechanisms 3) what effect COVID-19 has had on OSA diagnosis and 4) what effect COVID-19 has had on treatment and management of OSA during this period. PubMed was systematically searched up to 020620. Studies were included if they had examined the relationship between COVID-19 and OSA. Studies were included that were in English and had the full text available. The findings from this study suggest that many of the risk factors and co-morbidities associated for OSA which include obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus are associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes. There are plausible mechanisms by which OSA may independently increase one's risk of morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 and data from the newly published CORONADO study suggests that OSA treated patients may be at increased risk of death from COVID-19. It is clear that the pandemic has had a major effect on the treatment management and diagnosis of OSA and moving forward it may be necessary to explore new diagnosis and treatment pathways for these individuals.

Long-term survival following initiation of home non-invasive ventilation: a European study.

INTRODUCTION: Although home non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used to manage patients with chronic ventilatory failure, there are limited data on the long-term outcome of these patients. Our aim was to report on home NIV populations and the long-term outcome from two European centres. METHODS: Cohort analysis including all patients established on home NIV from two European centres between 2008 and 2014. RESULTS: Home NIV was initiated in 1746 patients to treat chronic ventilatory failure caused by (1) obesity hypoventilation syndrome±obstructive sleep apnoea (OHS±OSA) (29.5%); (2) neuromuscular disease (NMD) (22.7%); and (3) obstructive airway diseases (OAD) (19.1%). Overall cohort median survival following NIV initiation was 6.6 years. Median survival varied by underlying aetiology of respiratory failure: rapidly progressive NMD 1.1 years, OAD 2.7 years, OHS±OSA >7 years and slowly progressive NMD >7 years. Multivariate analysis demonstrated higher mortality in patients with rapidly progressive NMD (HR 4.78, 95% CI 3.38 to 6.75), COPD (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.64 to 3.10), age >60 years at initiation of home NIV (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.92 to 3.02) and NIV initiation following an acute admission (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.68). Factors associated with lower mortality were NIV adherence >4 hours per day (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.79), OSA (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.84) and female gender (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.96). CONCLUSION: The mortality rate following initiation of home NIV is high but varies significantly according to underlying aetiology of respiratory failure. In patients with chronic respiratory failure, initiation of home NIV following an acute admission and low levels of NIV adherence are poor prognostic features and may be amenable to intervention.

Polysomnographic phenotyping of obstructive sleep apnea and its implications in mortality in Korea.

Conventionally, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is used to define and categorize the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. However, routine polysomnography (PSG) includes multiple parameters for assessing the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. The goal of this study is to identify and categorize obstructive sleep apnea phenotypes using unsupervised learning methods from routine PSG data. We identified four clusters from 4,603 patients by using 29 PSG variable and arranged according to their mean AHI. Cluster 1, spontaneous arousal (mean AHI = 8.52/h); cluster 2, poor sleep and periodic limb movements (mean AHI = 12.16/h); cluster 3, hypopnea (mean AHI = 38.60/h); and cluster 4, hypoxia (mean AHI = 69.66/h). Conventional obstructive sleep apnea classification based on apnea-hypopnea index severity showed no significant difference in cardiovascular or cerebrovascular mortality (Log rank P = 0.331), while 4 clusters showed an overall significant difference (Log rank P = 0.009). The risk of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular mortality was significantly increased in cluster 2 (hazard ratio = 6.460, 95% confidence interval 1.734-24.073) and cluster 4 (hazard ratio = 4.844, 95% confidence interval 1.300-18.047) compared to cluster 1, which demonstrated the lowest mortality. After adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and underlying medical condition, only cluster 4 showed significantly increased risk of mortality compared to cluster 1 (hazard ratio = 7.580, 95% confidence interval 2.104-34.620). Phenotyping based on numerous PSG parameters gives additional information on patients' risk evaluation. Physicians should be aware of PSG features for further understanding the pathophysiology and personalized treatment.

Different prognosis between severe and very severe obstructive sleep apnea patients; Five year outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by augmented sympathetic nerve activity. In our previous study, patients with OSA and an apnea-hyperpnea index (AHI)>55events/h showed increased single-unit muscle sympathetic nerve activity compared to patients with OSA and AHI of 30-55events/h. However, the prognostic impact in these patients remains unclear. METHODS: Ninety-one OSA patients were included. All patients who had indication for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) were treated with CPAP. Patients were divided into three groups: mild/moderate OSA (S), AHI<30events/h (n=44); severe OSA (SS), AHI 30-55events/h (n=29); and very severe OSA (VSS), AHI>55events/h (n=18). The primary endpoint was a composite outcome composed of death, cardiovascular events, stroke, and heart failure with hospitalization. RESULTS: In the 5-year follow-up, the primary event rate in the SS group [3 events (7%)] was the same as that in the S group [3 events (10%)]. However, the VSS group showed a significantly higher primary event rate among the three groups [6 events (33%), p<0.05]. In Cox regression analysis, the VSS group had the highest hazard ratio compared to other risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: CPAP was effective for preventing cardiovascular disease in patients with severe OSA, however patients with very severe OSA still had a high event rate, indicating that CPAP treatment might be insufficient to reduce the OSA-related risk burden in patients with very severe OSA. Additional systemic medical treatment for CPAP might be needed in patients with very severe OSA.

Pathology of unexpected sudden cardiac death: Obstructive sleep apnea is part of the challenge.

Unexpected sudden cardiac death (SCD), sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD) are major unsolved, devastating forms of death that occur frequently. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with increased cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality, including sudden cardiac death (SCD). This editorial will review the pathology of SCD, including sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and sudden intrauterine unexplained death (SIUD); OSA with its cardiovascular consequences; the possible link between SCD and OSA, discussing the potential mechanisms underlying these two frequent, but yet overlooked pathologies. Finally, the possible preventive benefits of treating OSA and identifying patients at common risk for OSA and SCD and SIDS-SIUD to prevent unexpected deaths will be discussed. Post-mortem examination is of great importance in every case of SCD sine materia, with examination of the brainstem and cardiac conduction system on serial sections, when general autopsy fails, but it should be stressed that also the investigations of patients suffering from OSA should focus on the possibility of pathological findings in common with cases of SCD.

CPAP Adherence, Mortality, and Progression-Free Survival in Interstitial Lung Disease and OSA.

BACKGROUND: OSA, a common comorbidity in interstitial lung disease (ILD), could contribute to a worsened course if untreated. It is unclear if adherence to CPAP therapy improves outcomes. RESEARCH QUESTION: Does adherence to CPAP therapy improve outcomes in patients with concurrent interstitial lung disease and OSA? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted a 10-year retrospective observational multicenter cohort study, assessing adult patients with ILD who had undergone polysomnography. Subjects were categorized based on OSA severity into no/mild OSA (apnea-hypopnea index score < 15) or moderate/severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index score ≥ 15). All subjects prescribed and adherent to CPAP were deemed to have treated OSA. Cox regression models were used to examine the association of OSA severity and CPAP adherence with all-cause mortality risk and progression-free survival (PFS). RESULTS: Of 160 subjects that met inclusion criteria, 131 had OSA and were prescribed CPAP. Sixty-six patients (41%) had no/mild untreated OSA, 51 (32%) had moderate/severe untreated OSA, and 43 (27%) had treated OSA. Subjects with no/mild untreated OSA did not differ from those with moderate/severe untreated OSA in mean survival time (127 ± 56 vs 138 ± 93 months, respectively; P = .61) and crude mortality rate (2.9 per 100 person-years vs 2.9 per 100 person-years, respectively; P = .60). Adherence to CPAP was not associated with improvement in all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.1; 95% CI, 0.4-2.9; P = .79) or PFS (HR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.5-1.5; P = .66) compared with those that were nonadherent or untreated. Among subjects requiring supplemental oxygen, those adherent to CPAP had improved PFS (HR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.9; P = .03) compared with nonadherent or untreated subjects. INTERPRETATION: Neither OSA severity nor adherence to CPAP was associated with improved outcomes in patients with ILD except those requiring supplemental oxygen.

Relation of Age to Survival in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea who Develop an Acute Coronary Event (from the National Inpatient Sample).

This study was undertaken to investigate whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) produces a survival advantage in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to evaluate the mechanism of any benefit, including the impact of age and other risk factors. The National Inpatient Sample was queried for all patients who were admitted for ACS during the years 2013 to 2014. The primary outcomes were all-cause in-hospital mortality and cardiogenic shock (CS). Multivariable logistic regression was used for analysis. A total of 1,080,340 patients with ACS were included, 63,255 patients had OSA. The majority of patients were males (60.3%) and of Caucasian race (75%). The mean age was 67 years (SEM: 0.1). Despite a higher burden of risk factors and older age, OSA patients had a lower risk for mortality and cardiogenic shock adjusted OR 0.68 (95%CI 0.61-0.75), p <0.001 and 0.81 (95%CI: 0.74 to 0.89), p <0.001 respectively. Age was an important effect modifier. Survival advantage and lower risk for CS arises at the age above 55 and become more apparent with increasing age. In conclusion, despite a higher CV risk profile, and older age, OSA produces a survival benefit in ACS. Age is a significant modifier of risk in OSA patients with ACS. Ischemic preconditioning might explain these results.

Relation of a Simple Cardiac Co-Morbidity Count and Cardiovascular Readmission After a Heart Failure Hospitalization.

Although several risk calculators are available to determine risk for readmission following a heart failure (HF) hospitalization, none provide information on cause-specific readmission. Understanding risk for cause-specific readmission could aid in developing a targeted approach to reducing readmissions. We sought to determine if a simple cardiac co-morbidity count could identify individuals at high risk for a cardiovascular (CV) readmission following a HF hospitalization. Using the Nationwide Readmissions Database, we examined nonfatal hospital discharges with a principal diagnosis of HF. We calculated a 0 to 3 cardiac co-morbidity count based on the presence of coronary artery disease, atrial arrhythmia, and/or ventricular arrhythmia. We used a multinomial logistic regression to determine if the cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with CV readmission or non-CV readmission, adjusting for patient- and hospital-level confounders. In 380,075 discharges, 28% had a co-morbidity count of 0, 47% had a count of 1, 23% had a count of 2, and 2% had a count of 3. In a fully adjusted model, cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with CV readmission: compared with individuals with a count of 0, the relative risk for those with a count of 1 was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.23 to 1.31); for those with a count of 2 was 1.40 (95% CI: 1.35 to 1.46); and for those with a count of 3 was 1.36 (95% CI: 1.23 to 1.51). Cardiac co-morbidity count was not independently associated with non-CV readmission. In conclusion, we found that a simple cardiac co-morbidity count was independently associated with increased risk of CV but not non-CV readmission.