CPAP-therapy effectively lowers serum homocysteine in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Abstract

Assessment of serum total homocysteine (tHcy) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is highly relevant since both are strongly associated with stroke and cognitive dysfunction. Seven of 16 untreated OSA patients showed tHcy levels exceeding 11.7 mumol/l. The circadian pattern of serum tHcy in untreated and treated patients (p < 0.001) implied a diagnostic impact of blood sampling time. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) effectively lowered tHcy levels in patients by about 30% (p < 0.005) and thus probably the (hyper)homocysteinemia-related cognitive dysfunction and the risk for cardio-/cerebrovascular diseases.