Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Pulmonary Embolism: Prevalence, Severity and the Association of Sleep-Disordered Breathing with Thromboembolic Disease

Background/Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and pulmonary embolism (PE) share several risk factors, while emerging evidence suggests a potential pathophysiological link beyond these common determinants. We aimed to characterize the prevalence and severity of OSA in patients with acute PE and to investigate whether the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) is independently associated with PE and its clinical course.

Methods

In this prospective, single-center, case–control study, 128 consecutive patients with acute PE and 252 outpatient controls with other respiratory diseases underwent home respiratory polygraphy. In patients with PE, the sleep study was performed at least three months after the acute event. OSA was diagnosed and graded according to international consensus criteria. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations between AHI and PE, acute PE severity, chronic deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence.