• Pablo Stiefel, Maria Angeles Sánchez-Armengol, José Villar, Antonio Vallejo-Vaz, Rafael Moreno-Luna, and Francisco Capote.
• Unidad Clinico Experimental de Riesgo Vascular (UCAMI-UCERV), Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBIS) SAS, CEIC, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain. Electronic address: stiefel@cica.es.
• Arch. Med. Res. 2013 Aug 1; 44 (6): 409-14.

AbstractAccelerated atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk are frequently reported in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome. In this article the authors attempt a review of the current understanding of the relationship between vascular risk and OSA syndrome based on large cohort studies that related the disease to several cardiovascular risk factors and vascular pathologies. We also discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms that may be involved in this relationship, starting with endothelial dysfunction and its mediators. These include an increased oxidative stress and inflammation as well as several disorders of coagulation and lipid metabolism. Moreover, circulating microparticles from activated leukocytes (CD62L_MPs) are higher in patients with OSA and there is a positive correlation between circulating levels of CD62L_MPs and nocturnal hypoxemia severity. Finally, circulating level of endothelial microparticles and circulating endothelial cells seem to be increased in patients with OSA. Also, endothelial progenitor cells are reduced and plasma levels of the vascular endothelial growth factor are increased.Copyright © 2013 IMSS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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