PRedictOrs, PHEnotypes and Timing of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a well-known disorder of upper airways collapse during sleep time leading to oxygen desaturation and sleep fragmentation. Despite being increasingly recognized as cardiovascular risk, the effect of OSA on clinical outcomes after Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) is not fully defined. Also, OSA syndrome is highly prevalent in ACS and may be related to the deterioration of cardiac function resulting in worsening of the severity of sleep apnea or the intermittent hypoxia could be cardio-protective via the ischemic preconditioning event. Serial sleep studies have shown the progressive reduction of the Apnea / Hypopnea Index (AHI) from the admission in Coronary Care Unit (CCU) to 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 6-month follow up, making necessary to re-assess the severity of OSA after discharge. Therefore, further research in this field is necessary to screen and predict those ACS patients who may experience a change in their AHI index over time.