Obstructive sleep apnea increases high-shear whole blood viscosity and Plasma Viscosity in adults

ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the effects of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on hemorheological parameters.MethodsBetween February 2023 and March 2024, 882 patients were screened, and 787 were included in the study. The participants were divided into a non-OSA group (72 individuals) and an OSA group (715 individuals). Propensity score overlap weighting was used to balance the clinical variables, red blood cell count, and blood biochemistry results between the two groups, and regression analysis was conducted to assess the relationship between OSA and hemorheological parameters. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using propensity score covariate adjustment to ensure the robustness of the results.ResultsCompared to non-OSA patients, OSA patients exhibited a significant increase in whole blood viscosity at high shear rates by 0.18 mPa.s (95% CI: [0.03, 0.32]) and in plasma viscosity by 0.05 mPa.s (95% CI: [0.01, 0.10]). However, there was no significant difference in whole blood viscosity at low shear rates between the two groups (95%CI: [-0.01, 0.56]).ConclusionAfter adjusting the effects of comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, OSA still had a significant impact on high-shear whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity.