TABLE 3

Future challenges for the study of the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and venous thromboembolism (VTE)

Epidemiology of the OSA–VTE relationship

  • Inclusion of VTE as an end-point within CVD in relevant studies

  • Follow-up studies of international registers of OSA patients to evaluate their risk of VTE

  • Analysis of the impact of confounding variables (especially obesity)

Pathophysiology

  • Studies with sufficient statistical power to evaluate which elements of coagulation and other biomarkers are associated with the presence of OSA and its treatment, as well as the factors that modulate this relationship

Evolution of VTE in OSA patients

  • Studies on the short- and long-term effect of OSA on relapses, cardiovascular outcomes and other variables of interest in patients with VTE

Impact of VTE on OSA

  • Studies of the effect of PE with RV dysfunction on the diameter and collapsibility of the upper airway

Treatment of OSA

  • Effect of CPAP on different elements of coagulation

  • Clinical trials with sufficient statistical power on the effect of CPAP in the short- and long-term on relapses, major cardiovascular events and other variables of interest

Treatment of VTE

  • Effect of OSA and its treatment on the effect of anticoagulant treatment in VTE patients

CVD: cardiovascular disease; RV: right ventricle; CPAP: continuous positive airway pressure.