Polysomnographic Parameters and Assessment of Cardiovascular Complications in Patients with Sleep Disordered Breathing

Background: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a significant public ‎health concern, including ‎obstructive sleep ‎apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea. SDB, even in milder forms, stresses the ‎‎cardiovascular system, leading to complications‎. ‎ While the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) has ‎‎traditionally assessed SDB severity, recent research highlights its ‎limitations, emphasizing the need for ‎additional polysomnographic ‎parameters for a comprehensive cardiovascular risk assessment in patients ‎with Sleep Disorders Breathing. Methods: This retrospective study was carried out at the ‎Sleep ‎Disorders Breathing unit, at Zagazig ‎University Hospitals. The ‎study involved 109 participants with ‎cardiac illness ‎and 109 participants without cardiac illness The specialized ‎setting was utilized to ‎investigate polysomnographic parameters and cardiovascular problems in patients with SDB. ‎Results: ‎The primary ‎ results of this study revealed that ‎the cardiac group exhibits a lower prevalence of pure ‎OSA (57.9 % vs. 86.1 % in non-cardiac group) but a higher prevalence of mixed sleep apnea (39.5% ‎vs. ‎‎13.9% in non-cardiac group) with high statistical significance (P value ‎<‎‏ ‏‎0.001) ‎. ‎ Oxygen Desaturation ‎Index, Time of sleep below 90% (T<90%)‎, Arrhythmia Index, and Arousal Index are significantly ‎higher ‎in the cardiac group ‎(P value ‎<‎.001) but Diastolic dipping of blood pressure is significantly ‎lower ‎in the same group ‎(P value 0 ‎<‎.001)‎‎.‎ Conclusions: Polysomnographic parameters other than ‎AHI, such as Oxygen Desaturation Index, Time of sleep less than 90% (T<90%)‎, Arrhythmia ‎Index, ‎Arousal Index, and Diastolic Dipping‎ of blood pressure ‎ emerge as a key marker of heightened risk of ‎cardiovascular ‎complications. ‎