Sleep-disordered breathing and left ventricular scar on cardiac magnetic resonance: results of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

STUDY OBJECTIVES

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the independent association between sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) using overnight polysomnography and left ventricular (LV) scar using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) with late-gadolinium enhancement in a community-based cohort of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis.

METHODS

Our analytical sample includes 934 participants from the fifth examination of the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who underwent both polysomnography and CMR. SDB was categorized as follows: no-SDB (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] < 5 events/h), mild SDB (5 events/h ≤ AHI < 15 events/h), and moderate-severe SDB (AHI ≥ 15 events/h). LV scar was considered present if there was presence of scar on CMR (late-gadolinium enhancement > 0%). Logistic regression with multivariable adjustment for confounders (age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and cardiometabolic risk factors) was used to examine the independent association of SDB with LV scar. Confounders were identified using directed acyclic graphs.

RESULTS

The mean age of our sample was 67.0 ± 8.5 years (SD), with 49% (n = 461) females and a prevalence of SDB (AHI ≥ 5 events/h) of 63% (n = 590). LV scar was more prevalent in individuals with SDB (9.5%) versus those without SDB (3.8%; P < .01), and 88% of all LV scars were clinically unrecognized. After multivariable adjustment, both mild SDB and moderate-severe SDB were independently associated with LV scar (odds ratio, 2.53; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-5.64 and odds ratio, 2.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-5.24, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In a community-based cohort, SDB (including mild) is independently associated with a more than 2-fold increase in the odds of LV scar presence measured using CMR with late-gadolinium enhancement. Most LV scars were clinically unrecognized. The impact of SDB treatment on subclinical myocardial infarction needs to be investigated in future studies.