ABSTRACT
Objective: To observe clinical features in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients combining obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Sleep apnea monitoring was conducted in 65 PH patients with right cardiac catheterization in our hospital from 2016-04 to 2016-08. General clinical tests and the parameters of sleep respiration and right cardiac catheterization were recorded. OSA was diagnosed by apnea hypopnea index (AHI)≥5, different parameters were compared between PH patients with and without OSA. Results: The average patients' age was (41.98±15.26) years including 72.31% (47/65) female, 26 (40%) patients combining OSA with the mean AHI at (18.12±13.40). Compared to those without OSA, PH with OSA patients had the elder age, more male and higher proportions of chronic thromboembolic PH, lung diseases or hypoxia; increased AHI, apnea index (AI), obstructive AI (oAI); more patients with nocturnal hypoxia>10% and SaO2<90%, increased BMI, more NYHA Ⅲ and elevated NT-proBNP; while decreased mean oxygen saturation, minimum oxygen saturation, PaO2, 6 minute walk distance and cardiac index, all P<0.05. Drug therapy was similar between 2 groups. Conclusion: Nocturnal hypoxia and OSA were common in PH patients, elder age and male gender were the risk factors for PH combining OSA; the patients had lower partial pressure of oxygen especially at night, longer time of hypoxia and severer cardiac function damage. It is necessary to conduct sleep apnea monitoring to alert sleep apnea and hypoxia in relevant patients.