Are objectively measured sleep characteristics such as severe OSA and sleep fragmentation associated with the prevalence of coronary artery calcification?
Severe obstructive sleep apnea and sleep fragmentation are associated with subclinical coronary artery disease (coronary artery calcification), independent of traditional risk factors.
In this population-based multi-ethnic sample, severe OSA was associated with subclinical coronary artery disease (CAC >0), independent of obesity and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, the associations of the arousal index and slow-wave sleep with high CAC burden suggest that higher nightly sympathetic nervous system activation is also a risk factor. These findings highlight the potential importance of measuring disturbances in OSA as well as sleep fragmentation as possible risk factors for coronary artery disease.
Lutsey et al. (Wed,) studied this question.