Intima-Media Thickness of Carotid Arteries in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective: to evaluate the changes of intima-media thickness (IMT) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSAS). Material and methods: Color duplex sonography of carotid arteries was performed in 27 patients with OSAS (mean age 55.7+/-1.4 years) and 27 control subjects (mean age 56.1+/-1.4 years), with risk facktors (RF) for cerebrovascular diseases (CVD) but not OSAS. The IMT of the common carotid arteries (CCA) was measured in B-mode at the far wall of both arteries. Furthermore, the presence of plaques and stenoses of the extracranial vessels was determined. Results: In the OSAS group, CCA-IMT was significantly increased when compared with the non-OSAS patients. 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.