Abstract
The current review aimed to assess the effect of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on the severity and outcomes of pulmonary embolism (PE). PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, CENTRAL and Google Scholar were searched for studies assessing the impact of OSA on severity and outcomes of PE. A total of 12 studies were included. Meta-analysis revealed that simplified PE severity index of >1 and pulmonary artery obstruction index score was significantly higher in patients with OSA as compared with controls, but there was no difference in right ventricle to left ventricle short-axis diameter. The need for non-invasive ventilation was significantly higher in patients with OSA but there was no difference in the need for mechanical ventilation. Patients with OSA had a significantly higher incidence of recurrence of PE. Meta-analysis also showed a statistically significantly lower risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with OSA as compared with controls, but without any difference in the risk of late mortality. Adjusted data on mortality indicated a significantly lower risk of mortality in PE patients with comorbid OSA. Limited data shows that comorbid OSA increases the severity of PE but has no effect on right ventricular function. OSA may increase the risk of recurrent PE. Paradoxically, the presence of OSA may also reduce the risk of in-hospital mortality. Results must be interpreted with caution owing to high inter-study heterogeneity and lack of matching of baseline characteristics. Current evidence needs to be confirmed by high-quality prospective studies.