Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES: Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has not yet been well investigated in Chinese patients, in whom the relationship of OSA and body mass index (BMI) is weaker than that in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the BP profile, and the relationships between nocturnal BP and the severity of OSA, in Chinese patients. METHODS: Consecutive Chinese adult outpatients with suspected OSA had overnight polysomnography (PSG), office BP, and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal oxygen saturation level were recorded, and BP patterns were classified based on the ABPM. RESULTS: Fifty-six subjects (40 male and 16 female, 48.59 ± 13.27 y) were evaluated. There were 14 patients with mild OSA (25.0%, AHI: 10.56 ± 3.42 events/h), 16 with moderate OSA (28.6%, AHI: 23.536 ± 3.42 events/h) and 26 with severe OSA (46.4%, AHI: 51.52 ± 3.42 events/h). There were 18 dippers (32.1%), 27 non-dippers (48.2%), and 11 reverse dippers (19.6%). As OSA severity increased, non-dipping also increased. A total of 67.9% of the OSA patients showed overall hypertension on ABPM, 57.1% had daytime hypertension only, and 73.2% had nighttime hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: OSA severity is associated with 24-h BP profiles in a population with only mild increases in BMI. These results can influence clinical practice, OSA management, and hypertension treatment policies.