Association between atherogenic index of plasma level and cardiovascular events in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: The sleep heart health study

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been demonstrated as a predictor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in various populations. However, there are quite limited studies on the association between AIP and incident CVD among adults with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Methods: Data were obtained from the Sleep Heart Health Study, including 2578 participants with OSA and without pre-existing CVD. AIP was calculated as lg (triglycerides/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol). Baseline AIP was stratified into quartiles (Q1-Q4). Multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses were performed to examine the relationship between AIP and CVD. Results: After a median follow-up of 11.67 years, 580 (22.50 %) OSA patients developed CVD, including 184 (7.10 %) with myocardial infarction (MI), and 400 (15.50 %) with coronary artery disease (CHD [including MI]), and 127 (4.90 %) with stroke. The multivariate logistic regression and restricted cubic spline analyses demonstrated a significant association between AIP and incidence of CVD, CHD, and MI, but not stroke. Compared with Q1 group, the fully adjusted odds ratios from Q2 group to Q4 group were: 1.33 (0.98, 1.80), 1.41 (1.03, 1.92), Conclusion: This study demonstrated that higher AIP level is associated with incident CVD, except stroke, independent of OSA severity and hypoxia among OSA patients. These findings suggest that monitoring AIP can facilitate the early identification of OSA patients at high risk of CVD.