Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Morbidity Indicators in a Middle-Aged Cohort: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a prevalent condition characterized by recurrent upper airway collapse during sleep, leading to intermittent hypoxemia and sleep fragmentation, with significant implications for cardiovascular health (Yeghiazarians et al., 2021). Alarmingly, between 40% and 80% of individuals with cardiovascular diseases, including acute coronary syndrome, ischemic heart disease, chronic heart failure, cerebrovascular accidents, and arrhythmias, also suffer from OSA (Nguyen et al., 2024). This high comorbidity underscores the critical need for understanding the intricate pathophysiological links between OSA and cardiovascular morbidity (Deviaene et al., 2017). Despite its significant prevalence, OSA remains underdiagnosed in a substantial portion of the population, particularly in middle-aged cohorts, where cardiovascular disease risk begins to escalate (Peker et al., 2002). The presence of OSA is a significant risk factor for various cardiovascular comorbidities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure, with its prevalence ranging from 2% to 26% in the general population depending on demographic factors (Ivanovski et al., 2023; Jaswal et al., 2024). Furthermore, global epidemiological data indicate a rising prevalence of OSA, largely attributed to the increasing rates of obesity and the enhanced sensitivity of diagnostic methodologies like advanced polysomnography (Frangopoulos et al., 2021). This rise in prevalence contributes to a significant burden of associated comorbidities, including neuropsychiatric dysfunction and metabolic syndrome, beyond the well-established cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risks (Bikov et al., 2020). Given this context, our cross-sectional analysis aims to elucidate the specific relationships between OSA severity and various indicators of cardiovascular morbidity within a middle-aged cohort.