RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Sleep apnoea is associated with major cardiac events in peripheral arterial disease JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1652 OP 1660 DO 10.1183/09031936.00130913 VO 43 IS 6 A1 Karri T. Utriainen A1 Juhani K. Airaksinen A1 Olli Polo A1 Ruut Laitio A1 Mikko J. Pietilä A1 Harry Scheinin A1 Tero Vahlberg A1 Kari A. Leino A1 Erkki S. Kentala A1 Jouko R. Jalonen A1 Harri Hakovirta A1 Riitta Parkkola A1 Sami Virtanen A1 Timo T. Laitio YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/6/1652.abstract AB Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) represents severe atherosclerosis with a high mortality after vascular surgery. The role of OSA in the prognosis of these patients is not yet established. 84 patients (aged 67±9 years) scheduled for sub-inguinal surgical revascularisation were enrolled for preoperative polysomnography. The threshold for significant OSA was an apnoea/hypopnoea index ≥20 events·h−1. Major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularisation, angina pectoris requiring hospitalisation and stroke, were used as a combined end-point. During follow-up (median 52 months), 17 out of 39 patients with and six out of 45 patients without significant OSA suffered MACCE. In the multivariate Cox regression, the primary predictors of MACCE were significant OSA (hazard ratio (HR) 5.1 (95% CI 1.9–13.9); p=0.001) and pre-existing coronary artery disease (HR 4.4 (95% CI 1.8–10.6); p=0.001). Other significant predictors were a ≥4 year history of PAD (HR 3.8 (95% CI 1.3–11.5); p=0.02) and decreasing high-density lipoprotein/total cholesterol ratio (HR 0.95 per percentage (95% CI 0.90–1.00); p=0.048). OSA is associated with poor long-term outcome in patients with PAD following revascularisation. OSA might have an important role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these patients. Sleep apnoea is associated with poor long-term outcome in peripheral arterial disease patients undergoing surgery http://ow.ly/sL8T0