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In a randomized trial, over 2700 patients with obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease were assigned to CPAP plus usual care or to usual care alone. At a mean of 3.7 years, the rate of adverse cardiovascular events did not differ significantly between the groups. Obstructive sleep apnea causes episodic hypoxemia and nocturnal sympathetic nervous system activation 1 and elevates blood pressure 2 and markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and hypercoagulation. 3 , 4 Large negative intrathoracic pressure swings also impose mechanical stress on the heart and great vessels. 5 – 7 Population-based and sleep-clinic–based cohort studies have shown an association between obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular events, 8 – 16 particularly stroke. 17 Randomized, controlled trials have shown that treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) lowers systolic blood pressure by 2 to 3 mm Hg in patients with normotensive obstructive sleep apnea 18 and by 6 to 7 mm Hg in patients with . . .

Abstract Rationale Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including myocardial infarction and stroke. Atherosclerosis is a key mechanism for these cardiovascular events. Recent cross-sectional studies showed the presence of early signs of atherosclerosis in patients with OSA who were free of comorbidities. Objectives To determine the impact of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on atherosclerosis. Methods We randomly assigned 24 patients with severe OSA (age, 46 ± 6 yr) who were free of comorbidities to receive no treatment (control, n = 12) or CPAP (n = 12) for 4 months. Carotid intima-media thickness, arterial stiffness (evaluated by pulse-wave velocity), carotid diameter, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, C-reactive protein, and catecholamines were determined at baseline and after 4 months. Measurements and Main Results At baseline, all measurements were similar in both groups and did not change in the control group after 4 months. In contrast, a significant decrease occurred in carotid intima-media thickness (707 ± 105 vs. 645 ± 95 μm, P = 0.04), pulse-wave velocity (10.4 ± 1.0 vs. 9.3 ± 0.9 m/s, P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (3.7 ± 1.8 vs. 2.0 ± 1.2 mg/L, P = 0.001), and catecholamines (365 ± 125 vs. 205 ± 51 ng/ml, P < 0.001) after 4 months of CPAP. Carotid diameter did not change significantly. Regarding the whole group, changes in carotid intima-media thickness were correlated with changes in catecholamines (r = 0.41, P < 0.05). Changes in pulse-wave velocity were correlated with changes in C-reactive protein (r = 0.58, P < 0.01) and catecholamines (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). Conclusions The treatment of OSA significantly improves early signs of atherosclerosis, supporting the concept that OSA is an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00400543).

Background Frailty is a common syndrome in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Whether frailty modifies the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with established CVD and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is uncertain. We aimed to determine associations of frailty and the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in adults with moderate–severe OSA and established CVD. Methods Post hoc analyses of the international Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) trial where participants from 89 clinical centres in seven countries with moderate‐to‐severe OSA and established CVD were randomised to usual care plus continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment or usual care alone. Participants were categorised using the Rockwood frailty index (FI) into three groups: nonfrail (FI ≤ 0.210), moderately frail (FI 0.211–0.310) and severely frail (FI ≥ 0.311). Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess associations of FI and both composite and individual cardiovascular outcomes over an average follow‐up period of 3.7 years. Results There were 2653 OSA participants (mean age 61.3 [SD 7.8] years, and 507 [19.1%] were female) with established CVD included with a mean FI of 0.290 (SD 0.125). There were 783 (29.5%) and 1006 (37.9%) classified as moderately and severely frail, respectively. Compared to those without frailty, those with severe frailty had increased risks of the composite cardiovascular endpoint (hazard ratio [HR], 2.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88–3.11), and separately for stroke (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.54–3.74), hospitalisation for unstable angina (HR, 2.94; 95% CI, 1.98–4.35), all‐cause mortality (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.01–3.11) and CVD death (HR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.13–5.60), during a mean 3.7 years of follow‐up. There was a similar level of adherence to CPAP treatment (p = 0.488) across baseline frailty groups and no heterogeneity in the effect of CPAP treatment on composite and separate cardiovascular events. Conclusions In the SAVE cohort of adults with co‐occurring OSA and CVD, a higher FI was associated with significantly higher risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. Frailty did not modify CPAP treatment adherence or the effect of CPAP on recurrent cardiovascular events. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00738179.

The purpose of this guideline is to optimize evaluation and management of patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS). A multidisciplinary panel identified and prioritized five clinical questions. The panel performed systematic reviews of available studies (up to July 2018) and followed the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation evidence-to-decision framework to develop recommendations. All panel members discussed and approved the recommendations. After considering the overall very low quality of the evidence, the panel made five conditional recommendations. We suggest that: ) clinicians use a serum bicarbonate level <27 mmol/L to exclude the diagnosis of OHS in obese patients with sleep-disordered breathing when suspicion for OHS is not very high (<20%) but to measure arterial blood gases in patients strongly suspected of having OHS, ) stable ambulatory patients with OHS receive positive airway pressure (PAP), ) continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) rather than noninvasive ventilation be offered as the first-line treatment to stable ambulatory patients with OHS and coexistent severe obstructive sleep apnea, ) patients hospitalized with respiratory failure and suspected of having OHS be discharged with noninvasive ventilation until they undergo outpatient diagnostic procedures and PAP titration in the sleep laboratory (ideally within 2-3 mo), and ) patients with OHS use weight-loss interventions that produce sustained weight loss of 25% to 30% of body weight to achieve resolution of OHS (which is more likely to be obtained with bariatric surgery). Clinicians may use these recommendations, on the basis of the best available evidence, to guide management and improve outcomes among patients with OHS.

Study Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the population of affected areas in multiple dimensions. Adolescents have been especially affected with school closure and home confinement. The impact of the pandemic on sleep habits and quality of sleep and quality of life among adolescents has not been adequately characterized. We hypothesized that the COVID-19 pandemic has induced an evening shift of the daily rhythm among adolescents and adversely affected sleep quality and quality of life of high school students. Methods: Students were questioned about their usual bed and wake-up times and answered the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Horne-Osteberg Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-abbreviated version before and during the pandemic. Results: Ninety-four students (64% females, aged 15 ± 1 years) participated in both phases of the study. Students delayed bed and wake-up times by 1.5 (0.5–2.0) and 2.0 (1.5–2.5) hours, respectively. Chronotype (per the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire) shifted toward eveningness during the pandemic. Sleep duration increased and quality of sleep (per the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) improved only among those students with shorter sleep duration before the pandemic. During the pandemic, the physical and psychological domains of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire worsened but the environmental domain improved as compared with the study before the pandemic. Conclusions: High school students have delayed bed and wake-up times and shifted chronotype toward eveningness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The worsening of the physical and psychological World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire domains and improvement in the environmental domain highlight the conflicting experiences that high school students are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citation: Genta FD, Rodrigues Neto GB, Sunfeld JPV, et al. COVID-19 pandemic impact on sleep habits, chronotype, and health-related quality of life among high school students: a longitudinal study. J Clin Sleep Med . 2021;17(7):1371–1377.

Background It has been previously shown that a high percentage of medical students have sleep problems that interfere with academic performance and mental health. Methods To study the impact of sleep quality, daytime somnolence, and sleep deprivation on medical students, we analyzed data from a multicenter study with medical students in Brazil (22 medical schools, 1350 randomized medical students). We applied questionnaires of daytime sleepiness, quality of sleep, quality of life, anxiety and depression symptoms and perception of educational environment. Results 37.8% of medical students presented mild values of daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale - ESS) and 8.7% presented moderate/severe values. The percentage of female medical students that presented ESS values high or very high was significantly greater than male medical students ( p  <  0.05). Students with lower ESS scores presented significantly greater scores of quality of life and perception of educational environment and lower scores of depression and anxiety symptoms, and these relationships showed a dose-effect pattern. Medical students reporting more sleep deprivation showed significantly greater odds ratios of presenting anxiety and depression symptoms and lower odds of good quality of life or perception of educational environment. Conclusions There is a significant association between sleep deprivation and daytime sleepiness with the perception of quality of life and educational environment in medical students.

The combination of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that predictors of OSA among patients with COPD may be distinct from OSA in the general population. Therefore, we investigated associations between traditional OSA risk factors (e.g. age), and sleep questionnaires [e.g. Epworth Sleepiness Scale] in 44 patients with advanced COPD. As a second aim we proposed a pilot, simplified screening test for OSA in patients with COPD. In a prospective, observational study of patients enrolled in the UCSD Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program we collected baseline characteristics, cardiovascular events (e.g. atrial fibrillation), and sleep questionnaires [e.g. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)]. For the pilot questionnaire, a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and the presence of cardiovascular disease were used to construct the pilot screening test. Male: 59%; OSA 66%. FEV1 (mean ± SD) = 41.0±18.2% pred., FEV1/FVC = 41.5±12.7%]. Male gender, older age, and large neck circumference were not associated with OSA. Also, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the STOP-Bang questionnaire were not associated with OSA in univariate logistic regression. In contrast, BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (OR = 3.94, p = 0.04) and diagnosis of cardiovascular disease (OR = 5.06, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with OSA [area under curve (AUC) = 0.74]. The pilot COPD-OSA test (OR = 5.28, p = 0.05) and STOP-Bang questionnaire (OR = 5.13, p = 0.03) were both associated with OSA in Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) analysis. The COPD-OSA test had the best AUC (0.74), sensitivity (92%), and specificity (83%). A ten-fold cross-validation validated our results. We found that traditional OSA predictors (e.g. gender, Epworth score) did not perform well in patients with more advanced COPD. Our pilot test may be an easy to implement instrument to screen for OSA. However, a larger validation study is necessary before further clinical implementation is warranted.

IntroductionConsistent evidence suggests that obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. However, it is unclear whether OSA is underdiagnosed in the cardiology outpatient setting. In the present study, we prospectively evaluated the potential underdiagnosis of OSA in several subspecialties from a tertiary cardiology university hospital.MethodsConsecutive outpatients from five subspecialties (hypertension, coronary, arrhythmia, heart failure (HF), valvular heart disease) were studied. We performed anthropometric measurements, assessed the risk of OSA using the Berlin Questionnaire and evaluated the prior diagnosis and treatment for OSA. In a subset of patients randomly selected, we performed portable sleep monitoring to objectively evaluate the presence of OSA (defined by an apnoea–hypopnoea index ≥15 events/h of sleep).ResultsWe evaluated 500 patients (100 from each subspecialty). The mean age and body mass index (BMI) were 59±13 years and 28.2±5.3 kg/m2, respectively. We found that 51.6% (258 patients) had a high risk for OSA (Berlin Questionnaire). However, only 13 (3.1%) of these patients had a previous diagnosis of OSA. Of those, only six patients were receiving specific OSA treatment. Fifty patients (10 from each specialty) participated in sleep studies. No differences were found in patients who underwent sleep monitoring and those who did not. We found a high frequency of OSA (66%), varying from 50% (hypertension group) to 80% (HF group).ConclusionsDespite significant scientific evidence pointing to OSA as an emerging cardiovascular risk factor, OSA is still underdiagnosed in several cardiology subspecialties.

BackgroundMost of the evidence on bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is based on observational studies and/or short-term follow-up in patients with obesity grade 3.Subjects/MethodsThis randomized study compared the effects of roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or usual care (UC) on OSA severity in patients with obesity grade 1–2. Mild, moderate, and severe OSA was defined by the apnea-hypopnoea index (AHI): 5–14.9; 15–29.9, and ≥30 events/h, respectively. OSA remission was defined by converting any form of OSA into normal AHI (<5 events/h).ResultsAfter 3-year of follow-up, the body-mass index increased in the UC while decreased in the RYGB group: +1.7 (−1.9; 2.7) versus −10.6 (−12.7; −9.2) kg/m2, respectively. The AHI increased by 5 (−4.2; 12.7) in the UC group while reduced in the RYGB group to −13.2 (−22.7; −7) events/h. UC significantly increase the frequency of moderate OSA (from 15.4 to 46.2%). In contrast, RYGB had a huge impact on reaching no OSA status (from 4.2 to 70.8%) in parallel to a decrease of moderate (from 41.7 to 8.3%) and severe OSA (from 20.8 to 0%).ConclusionsRYGB is an attractive strategy for mid-term OSA remission or decrease moderate-to-severe forms of OSA in patients with obesity grade 1–2.