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Comparative Study
. 2013 Oct;101(4):344-51.
doi: 10.5935/abc.20130179. Epub 2013 Aug 27.

Big endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in hypertensive elderly patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Iara Felicio Anunciato, Rômulo Rebouças Lobo, Eduardo Barbosa Coelho, Waldiceu Aparecido Verri Jr, Alan Luiz Eckeli, Paulo Roberto Barbosa Evora, Fernando Nobre, Júlio César Moriguti, Eduardo Ferriolli, Nereida Kilza da Costa Lima
Comparative Study

Big endothelin-1 and nitric oxide in hypertensive elderly patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome

[Article in English, Portuguese]
Iara Felicio Anunciato et al. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2013 Oct.

Abstract

Background: The role of oxidative stress in hypertensive elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is unknown.

Objective: The purpose was to evaluate the levels of big endothelin-1 (Big ET-1) and nitric oxide (NO) in elderly hypertensive patients with and without moderate to severe OSAHS.

Methods: Volunteers were hospitalized for 24 h. We obtained the following data: body mass index (BMI); 24-ambulatory blood pressure monitoring; and current medication. Arterial blood was collected at 7 pm and 7 am for determining plasma NO and Big ET-1 levels. Pulse oximetry was performed during sleep. Pearson's or Spearman's correlation and univariate analysis of variance were used for statistical analysis.

Results: We studied 25 subjects with OSAHS (group 1) and 12 without OSAHS (group 2) aged 67.0 ± 6.5 years and 67.8 ± 6.8 years, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the groups in BMI; number of hours of sleep; 24-h systolic and diastolic BPs; awake BP, sleep BP and medications to control BP between groups. No differences were detected in plasma Big ET-1 and NO levels at 19:00 h, but plasma Big ET-1 levels at 7:00 h were higher in group 1 (p =0.03). In group 1, a negative correlation was also observed between the mean arterial oxyhemoglobin saturation level, 24-h systolic BP (p = 0.03, r = -0.44), and Big ET-1 (p = 0.04, r = -0.41).

Conclusions: On comparing elderly hypertensive patients with and without OSAHS having similar BP and BMI, we observed higher Big ET-1 levels After sleep in the OSAHS group. NO levels did not differ between the hypertensive patients with or without OSAHS.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential Conflict of Interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plasma levels of Nitric oxide (μM) in group 1 (OSAHS) and group 2 (no OSAHS).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Plasma levels of Big-Endothelin-1 (pg/ml) in group 1 (OSAHS) and group 2 (no OSAHS).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlation between body mass index (BMI) and number of awakenings and microawakenings (NAM) in hypertensive patients with and without OSAHS (Spearman, r = 0.51, p = 0.002).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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