Background
Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have indicated that OSAS is associated with increased systemic inflammation. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a newly-emerging risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However there is no evidence demonstrating relationship between NLR and OSAS. In our study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between OSAS, inflammation, and NLR in patients without history of cardiovascular disease.
Methods
The 192 subjects with symptoms of nocturnal snoring and/or excessive daytime sleepiness were enrolled. Study subjects were categorized into 2 groups according to the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): 103 patients in the mild to moderate OSAS (AHI 5-30 events/hour) as Group I, and 89 in the severe OSAS (AHI>30 events/hour) as Group II. Blood samples were drawn to evaluate biochemistry and the parameters of hemogram including red blood cell,leukocyte, neutrophil, lymphocyte count and NLR.
Results
The mean age of the study population was 46±11 years and 132 (68%) were males, 51 (26%) were hypertensive, and 23 (12%) were diabetic. Patients in Group II have more hypertension, obesity, higher age, serum glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, creatinine, and hematocrit (all p<0.05). Among the parameters of inflammation, Group II had significantly higher C-reactive protein (CRP)(p:0.002), leukocyte (p:0.045), neutrophil count (p:0.015), and NLR (p:0.021)(Table). Higher CRP levels significantly correlated with AHI, body mass index (BMI), and NLR. Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated higher NLR (p=0.001) and BMI (p=0.004) were independent predictors of increased inflammation.
Stay updated, free articles. Join our Telegram channel
Full access? Get Clinical Tree
