Intima-media thickness of the carotid artery in OSAS patients

Aim Evaluate the change of intima-media thickness of the carotid artery in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS). Materials and methods The participants of the study were divided into 2 groups: 27 patients suffering from OSAS and a control group of 27 participants (mean age 56.1 ± 1.4 years), having risk factors (RF) for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) but not OSAS. The morphology of the artery wall – the thickness of the intima media complex (IMT) of the common carotid arteries (CCA), the presence of atherosclerotic plaques, their magnitude, echogenicity and stability were determined with color-coded duplex sonography of the main arteries of the head. Results In the OSAS group, CCA-IMT was significantly increased when compared with the non-OSAS patients with RF for CVD, which correlated with the night hypoxemia level. Additionally, the formation of plaques was more pronounced and carotid stenoses were more common in the OSAS patients. Discussion These findings are in favor of an independent influence of obstructive sleep apnea on carotid artery atherosclerosis.