The relationship between sleep arousal, ambulatory blood pressure and heart failure in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between sleep arousal, ambulatory blood pressure and new-onset heart failure(NOHF)in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA).Methods:A total of 584 elderly patients with OSA who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital between March 2015 and March 2019 were prospectively and consecutively selected, with a mean age of(70.1±7.2)years.Polysomnography(PSG)results were obtained at baseline, and the arousal index(AI)was calculated.Based on the quartiles of AI, patients were divided into 4 groups a low-level group(AI<18.4/h, 186 cases), a low-medium level group(18.4-29.1/h, 177 cases), a medium-high level group(29.2-41.2/h, 137 cases)and a high-level group(>41.2 /h, 84 cases). Participants were followed up for 18 months, the results of ambulatory blood pressure were recorded and compared, and the relationship between AI and the risk of NOHF was analyzed.Results:Compared with the low-level group, patients in the low-medium, medium-high, and high-level groups were older(70.1, 70.3, 73.3 vs.68.7 years, F=2.726, P=0.043)and had more smokers(43.8%, 49.6%, 54.8% vs.38.2%, χ2=8.809, P=0.032), a larger body mass index(26.3, 26.7, 27.6 vs.25.4 kg/m 2, F=2.731, P=0.042), a higher Epworth sleepiness scale score(7.83, 8.50, 9.91 vs.7.64, F=5.124, P=0.018), a higher apnea hypopnea index(23.5, 34.8, 52.7 vs.17.6, F=5.632, P=0.007), lower nocturnal oxygen saturation(80.2, 75.3, 72.1 vs.83.7 mmHg, F=4.811, P=0.024), and higher N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP)levels(317.5, 337.5, 359.2 vs.267.5 pg/L, F=4.307, P=0.033). At the median follow-up(18 months, 14-24 months), the results of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring showed that 24-hour systolic blood pressure(24 h SBP)(147.3, 148.6, 156.2 vs.143.8 mmHg, F=5.4311, P=0.013), 24-hour diastolic blood pressure(24 h DBP)(80.1, 79.5, 83.7 vs.76.5 mmHg, F=5.679, P=0.011)in the low-medium, medium-high and high-level groups were higher than those in the low-level group.The results of survival analysis showed that there were 75(12.8%)cases of NOHF, mostly with preserved ejection fraction(47 cases)or mid-range ejection fraction heart failure(20 cases). The incidences of NOHF were 6.5%, 12.4%, 16.1% and 22.4%, respectively for the low level, low-medium, medium-high and high-level groups, and the risk of NOHF in the low-medium, medium-high and high-level groups was significantly higher than in the low level group(log-rank χ2=11.624, P=0.007). Variables with P<0.2 in the univariate analysis, age and sex were included in the multivariate Cox regression analysis.The results showed that age( HR=1.724, 95% CI 1.216-3.135), diabetes( HR=1.514, 95% CI 1.127-3.058), NT proBNP( HR=1.517, 95% CI 1.232-2.366), nocturnal diastolic blood pressure( HR=2.004, 95% CI 1.332-4.638), and middle-high AI level( HR=1.611, 95% CI 1.204-2.967)and high AI level( HR=1.863, 95% CI 1.272-3.538)were independent factors of NOHF in elderly OSA patients. Conclusions:Sleep arousal in elderly patients with OSA increases blood pressure levels and the risk of NOHF.