Effect of obstructive sleep apnoea on coronary collateral vessel development in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background and objective The impact of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in the setting of acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is complex and divergent. This study aimed to investigate the association between OSA and coronary collateral vessel (CCV) development in patients with STEMI. Methods The present study prospectively screened 282 STEMI patients with an overnight sleep study. OSA was defined as apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) >= 15 events/h. The coronary angiograms were used for the assessment of Rentrop grades representing CCVs. Results Among 119 patients enrolled, 60 patients had OSA (50.4%). The prevalence of CCV development (Rentrop grade >= 2) was significantly higher in OSA group than in the non-OSA group (43.3% vs. 5.1%, p < 0.001). There was a parallel increase in the Rentrop grades associated with OSA severity and worsening of hypoxaemia indicators (minimum arterial oxygen saturation [SaO(2)], mean SaO(2) and time with SaO(2) below 90%). After adjustment for clinical and angiographic characteristics, and pre-procedure medications that might interact with OSA, AHI as a continuous variable (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.08-1.21, p < 0.001) and the presence of OSA (OR 11.41, 95% CI 2.70-48.15, p = 0.001) were both associated with dramatically higher incidence of CCV development. Conclusion Our study demonstrated that the presence of OSA might augment CCV development in STEMI patients. The potential protective effects and mechanisms of OSA in the acute setting of STEMI should be further investigated in larger studies.