New Study Shows Cardiovascular Implications of Sleep Apnea Among Hispanics

Researchers found three different subtypes of hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk among the participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. A U.S. demographic known to be at increased risk for hypertension, diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

Evaluating for sleep apnea, a common disorder in the population at large and how it relates to the cardiovascular disease can provide with new venues to minimize the excess cardiovascular risk in the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population. We used subjective questions and objective sleep apnea measures to characterize different sleep apnea subtypes, using novel and sophisticated statistical techniques. These different characterizations each had different cardiovascular and sociodemographic profiles. The different characterizations of sleep apnea also had varying risks for cardiovascular risk factors and disease.

This finding is important because the apnea-hypopnea index is the main diagnostic metric for sleep apnea. However, this metric doesn't consider the varying sleep apnea symptoms and outcomes, leading to undiagnosed cases of sleep apnea, which may be at risk for cardiometabolic disease and disorders, but may go unnoticed.

The findings create future opportunities for better diagnosis and more tailored treatment for sleep apnea, in addition to further understand inform intervention studies and clinical trials in sleep apnea. Additionally, better characterization of sleep apnea will allow for more accurate examination between sleep and important health outcomes like neurocognitive decline.