Assessment of right ventricular remodeling and dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a prospective monocentric study

• Published in: Sleep & breathing 2022-06, Vol.26 (2), p.663-674
• Main Authors: Ibn hadj amor, Hassen, Touil, Imen, Chebbi, Rihab, Bouchareb, Soumaya, Bouchnak, Skander, Brahem, Yosra, Boussoffara, Leila, Boudawara, Nedia, Kneni, Jalel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Apnea; Blood pressure; Cardiovascular diseases; Congestive heart failure; Coronary artery disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentistry; Disease; Echocardiography; Female; Heart diseases; Humans; Internal Medicine; Lung diseases; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Multivariate analysis; Neurology; Otorhinolaryngology; Patients; Pediatrics; Pneumology/Respiratory System; Population studies; Prospective Studies; Pulmonary arteries; Pulmonary artery; Sleep; Sleep apnea; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive; Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Original Article; Sleep disorders; Structure-function relationships; Ventricle; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right; Ventricular Remodeling
• ISSN: 1520-9512; 1522-1709
• DOI: 10.1007/s11325-021-02432-x

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-related disorder that has been implicated in many serious cardiovascular diseases including cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Since most investigations have focused on the left heart, little is known on right ventricular (RV) involvement in OSA. The role of the RV in the management of cardiovascular outcomes has become increasingly recognized. Early detection of subtle signs of RV dysfunction and remodeling in patients with OSA is crucial for optimal medical care. Purpose We aimed to investigate the effect of OSA and its severity on the RV structure and function using conventional echocardiography. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analytical study including patients with OSA who did not have heart failure or chronic pulmonary disease comparing them to controls without OSA. All patients underwent respiratory polygraphy at the Pneumology Department and standard echocardiography performed by the same blinded cardiologist at the Cardiology Department of Taher Sfar University Hospital. Results A total of 139 patients with OSA and 45 controls were enrolled in the study. Amonth the patients, there were 32% (n = 44) with mild, 20% (n = 28) with moderate, and 48% (n = 67) with severe OSA. Sixty-three percent of the study population were women. The mean age was 54.1 ± 11.0 years. Early RV dilatation was present in the mild disease stage (RVID = 42.0 ± 7.7 mm vs. 32.4 ± 5.5 mm in controls; p