Abstract
Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) occur frequently in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSAS). We hypothesized that circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) are elevated in OSAS patients independently of obesity. This elevation may contribute to the development of the MS in these patients.
We studied 119 OSAS patients and 119 controls. Participants were recruited and studied at sleep unit of our institution and were matched for gender, age and BMI. The occurrence of the MS was analysed by clinical criteria. Serum levels of FFAs, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, aspartate-aminotransferase, alanine-aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, C-reactive protein and 8-isoprostanes were determined.
Prevalence of MS was higher in OSAS than in the control group (38 vs 21%, p=0.006). OSAS patients had higher FFAs levels than controls (12.2±4.9 vs 10.5±5.0mg·dL−1, p=0.015). Among subjects without MS, OSAS patients (OSAS+MS−) showed higher levels of FFAs than controls (OSAS− MS−) (11.6±4.7 vs 10.0±4.4mg·dL−1, p=0.04). In a multiple regression model, after adjustment for age, gender, BMI and the presence of metabolic syndrome, FFAs were significantly associated with AHI (p=0.04).
This study shows that FFAs are elevated in OSAS and could be one of the mechanisms involved in the metabolic complications of OSAS.
- ERS
