Purpose: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) poses a life-threatening risk with high mortality rates. While the coexistence of PE and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is gaining recognition, its influence on PE severity and prognosis remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate the associations between OSA and disease severity, as well as outcomes, in patients with acute PE.
Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients diagnosed with acute PE who had undergone previous cardiorespiratory polygraphy. OSA severity was assessed using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) derived from cardiorespiratory polygraphy. The severity of acute PE was evaluated using the simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) score. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the associations between AHI and the risk of belonging to the sPESI≥ 1 group. Cox regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between AHI and long-term adverse events, defined as a composite of all-cause mortality and non-fatal cardiovascular events.
Results: Among 145 acute PE patients (mean age 62.2 years, 49.7% male), 94 (64.8%) had OSA. Patients with OSA had a significantly higher proportion of sPESI≥ 1 (89.4% vs 68.6%, p=0.002) than non-OSA patients. Each unit increase in AHI was associated with a 15% increased risk of severe PE (sPESI≥ 1) (odds ratio: 1.15, 95% CI 1.05– 1.26, p=0.002) after adjusting for confounders. During a median follow-up of 15.2 months, 27 (18.6%) patients experienced adverse events. Increased AHI independently predicted a higher risk of adverse events (hazard ratio: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00– 1.05, p=0.026), even after adjusting for potential confounders. AHI ≥ 8 events/h was associated with a significantly higher adjusted hazard ratio of 2.56 (95% CI: 1.15– 5.72, p=0.022) for adverse events compared to AHI < 8 events.
Conclusion: OSA is common in acute PE patients and is linked to increased disease severity and adverse outcomes. Implementing routine OSA screening and management may aid risk stratification and improve outcomes in acute PE patients.
Keywords: sleep apnea, pulmonary embolism, outcomes, prognosis, cardiovascular