Association Between OSA and Quantitative Atherosclerotic Plaque Burden

Background Limited evidence is available regarding the association between OSA and coronary plaque assessed by using quantitative coronary CT angiography. Research Question Are there any associations between OSA severity-related indexes and the presence and burden of coronary plaque? Study Design and Methods Cross-sectional data from 692 patients who underwent sleep monitoring and coronary CT angiography were used for this study. Of these patients, 120 (17.3%) underwent polysomnography, and 572 (82.7%) underwent respiratory polygraphy. Multivariable logistic and linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations of OSA severity-related indexes with the presence, volume, and composition of plaque. Results In multivariable analyses, patients with moderate to severe OSA were more likely to have coronary plaques (P = .037), and plaques were more likely to contain a noncalcified plaque (NCP) component (P = .032) and a low-density NCP (LD NCP) component (P = .030). Furthermore, the apnea-hypopnea index and oxygen desaturation index as continuous variables were both associated with the presence of plaque, NCP, and LD NCP (all, P Interpretation OSA was independently associated with the presence and burden of coronary plaque, which suggests an increased risk of coronary events. Clinical Trial Registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; No. ChiCTR-ROC-17011027; http://chictr.org.cn .