Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease Predicted by Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Asymptomatic Subjects

The aim of this study is to determine the association among various sleep parameters for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and subclinical cardiovascular disease measured by coronary artery calcium (CAC) score. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 461 patients who underwent both polysomnography (PSG) and coronary artery computed tomography to evaluate CAC score. For each participant, coronary artery computed tomography was conducted within 12 months of PSG. We evaluated the possible association among various PSG parameters by evaluating overnight-attended PSG and CAC. A univariate analysis with lowest SaO₂ and stage 3 sleep % during sleep was significantly associated with CAC score (β = −5.528, 95% confidence interval [CI] −9.179 to −1.777, p = 0.004 and β = −8.658, 95% CI −16.461 to −0.855, p = 0.030, respectively). However, after adjustment for possible confounders, only the lowest SaO₂ was independently associated with CAC score (β = −5.234, 95% CI −9.215 to −1.253, p = 0.010). This association was stronger in participants aged ≥60 years (β = −26.966, 95% CI −41.874 to −12.058, p = 0.001). In a univariate analysis, apnea-hypopnea index, stage 3 sleep %, and moderate and severe OSA were significantly associated with CAC presence (odds ratio [OR] 1.010, p = 0.035; OR 0.949, p = 0.039; OR 2.186, p = 0.013; and OR 2.019, p = 0.020, respectively). However, after adjusting for possible confounders, there was no significant association. In conclusion, the patients with intermittent hypoxemia during sleep should be considered for evaluation of coronary artery calcification to detect cardiovascular disease in subclinical status.