Evaluation of echocardiogarphic parameters in obstructive sleep apnea patients following five years CPAP treatment

The effect of long term(?5 years) CPAP therapy on cardiac systolic and diastolic function of patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome(OSAS) had been evaluated with conventional and tissue Doppler techniques in our study. 21 patients aged from 18 to 55 with documented OSAS syndrome had uninterrupted CPCP therapy for at least 5 years. They were referred to the cardiology outpatient clinic for evaluation of their cardiac function using echocardiography, conventional doppler and tissue Doppler.techniquesThe patients with uncontrolled hypertension, chronic obstructive coronary disease, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, left ventricular hypetrophy assessed with echocardiography, serious valvular disease, liver kidney or thyroid disease, cardiomyopathies and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF:<%40) had been excluded. As patients with these diseases altering the cardiac parameters had been excluded from the study, the cardiac findings observed in this particular patient group can be directly related to sleep apnea syndrome.Their left ventricular systolic function was assessed using the two dimensional Vivid-3 Image point echocardiography on apical four chamber view using modified Simpson method. Diastolic function was evaluated with pulsed and tissue doppler technics.We observed a significant improvement of the left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, a decrease of mitral regurgitation, and a decrease of the left ventricular posterior wall thickness with unchanged ejection fraction of left ventricle. The Tei index asessed by conventional doppler technique was lower in patients with 5 year uninterrupted treatment. As we found significant improvement of both systolic and diastolic function of left ventricle, Tei index evaluating both systolic and diastolic function of left ventricle can be suggested for long term cardiac lollow up to evaluate the cardiovascular effect of treatment in obstructive sleep apnea patients.The improvement of cardiac function in our study suggest that CPAP therapy should be followed at long term in patients with Sleep apnea syndrome .