Open AccessC‐reactive protein improves the ability to detect cardiometabolic risk in mild‐to‐moderate obstructive sleep apnea
Author(s) -
Gaines Jordan,
Kong Lan,
Li Menghan,
FernandezMendoza Julio,
Bixler Edward O.,
Basta Maria,
Vgontzas Alexandros N.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
physiological reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 39
ISSN - 2051-817X
DOI - 10.14814/phy2.13454
Subject(s) - medicine , polysomnography , obstructive sleep apnea , c reactive protein , body mass index , biomarker , sleep apnea , odds ratio , population , receiver operating characteristic , blood pressure , sleep study , apnea , cardiology , inflammation , biochemistry , chemistry , environmental health
Obstructive sleep apnea ( OSA ), particularly in the mild‐to‐moderate range, affects up to 40% of the adult general population. While it is clear that treatment should be pursued in severe cases of OSA , when and how to best treat OSA in the mild‐to‐moderate range remains complicated, despite its high prevalence. The aim of this study was to compare the relative utility of apnea/hypopnea index ( AHI ) versus a biomarker of inflammation, C‐reactive protein ( CRP ), in identifying the presence and severity of hypertension and hyperglycemia. Middle‐aged ( n = 60) adults with mild‐to‐moderate OSA ( AHI between 5 and 29 events per hour) underwent 8‐h polysomnography, a physical examination including measures of blood pressure and body mass index, and a fasting morning blood draw for glucose and CRP . CRP levels were associated with greater odds for having hypertension and hyperglycemia compared to AHI . Receiver‐operating characteristics ( ROC ) curves revealed that adding CRP to standard clinical factors (age, sex, and BMI ) yielded moderately good to strong risk models for the disorders ( AUC = 0.721 and AUC = 0.813, respectively). These preliminary findings suggest that including a measure of CRP improves the ability for clinicians to detect cases of mild‐to‐moderate OSA with true cardiometabolic risk, with implications in improving prognosis and treatment within this clinically gray area.