Genetically-reduced serum ACE activity might be a causal risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: A meta-analysis

Estimated prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea by occupation and industry in England: a descriptive study

Study Objectives

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can induce excessive sleepiness, causing work-related injuries and low productivity. Most individuals with OSA in the United Kingdom are undiagnosed, and thus, theoretically, workplace screening, might by identifying these individuals improve both their individual health and overall productivity. However, the prevalence of OSA in different workplaces is unclear. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of OSA by industries and occupations in England.

Methods

The Health Survey for England 2019 dataset was combined with Sleep Heart Health Study dataset. We applied multiple imputation for the combined dataset to estimate OSA in the English population aged 40-64. We estimated the pooled prevalence of OSA by both industry and occupation by separating samples by Standard Industry Classification and Standard Occupation Classification.

Results

The overall OSA prevalence estimated by imputation for ages 40-64 was 17.8% (95% CI = 15.9% to 19.9%). Separating those samples into industrial/occupational groups, the estimated prevalence of OSA varied widely by industry/occupation. Descriptive analysis revealed that the estimated prevalence of OSA was relatively higher in the Accommodation and food, Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, Construction industries, and Protective service occupations, health and social care associate professionals, and skilled construction and building trades occupations.

Conclusions

In England in 2019, Accommodation and food, Public administration and defence; compulsory social security, Construction industries, and Protective service occupations, health and social care associate professionals, and skilled construction and building trades occupations showed a relatively higher prevalence of OSA indicating that they may be target populations for workplace screening.

The interaction among OSA, CPAP, and medications in patients with comorbid OSA and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Most patients with comorbid sleep apnea (OSA), cardiovascular (CV) disease, and/or cerebrovascular (CeV) disease simultaneously take medications. Whether OSA and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) interact with CV/CeV medications remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the interaction among OSA, CPAP, and CV/CeV medications; the effects of medications on major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, and survival in patients with comorbid OSA and CV/CeV.

METHODS

This was a post hoc analysis of the data from one center of the Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints Study. Participants (aged 45-75 years) with comorbid OSA and CV/CeV were randomized to receive usual care with or without CPAP from December 2008 to November 2013. The primary endpoint was death and the secondary endpoint was a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, and transient ischemic attack.

RESULTS

In total, 131 patients were analyzed. Sixty-three were in the CPAP group and 68 were in the usual care group, 41 had good adherence to CPAP (65.1%), and the median follow-up time was 43.0 (35.0, 54.0) months. In Cox regression analysis, ACE inhibitors and nitrates were independent factors for decreased survival in patients with comorbid OSA and CV/CeV (chi-square = 22.932, P = 0.003; ACE inhibitors: OR 7.241, P = 0.048, 95% CI 1.016-51.628; nitrates: OR 18.012, P = 0.011, 95% CI 1.923-168.750). ACE inhibitors increased mortality and secondary endpoints in the CPAP group (chi-square = 4.134, P = 0.042) but not in patients with good CPAP adherence. Clopidogrel and nitrates decreased survival in usual care group (clopidogrel: chi-square = 5.312, P = 0.021; nitrates: chi-square = 6.417, P = 0.011), but not in CPAP group.

CONCLUSIONS

OSA may predispose patients with CV/CeV and CV/CeV medications to a negative effect. CPAP treatment may neutralize the negative effects of OSA by relieving chronic intermittent hypoxia. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00738179, first registration date: 20/08/2008).

Variants of candidate genes associated with the risk of obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND

The researches on the associations between different candidate genes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are inconsistent. Here, we performed a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis to estimate the contribution of variants from candidate genes to the risk of OSA.

METHODS

Qualitative analysis was conducted to find the relationships for all included genes. Then, quantitative analysis of both allele models and genotype models was applied to evaluate the risk variants for OSA. Furthermore, a similar analysis was performed in different ethnic groups.

RESULTS

We included 152 publications containing 75 genes for qualitative analysis. Among them, we included 93 articles containing 28 variants from 16 genes for quantitative analysis. Through allele models, we found 10 risk variants for OSA (rs1801133 of MTHFR, ɛ4 of ApoE, -1438G/A of 5-HT2A, -308G/A of TNF-α, Pro1019Pro of LEPR, rs1130864 and rs2794521 of CRP, D/I of ACE, LPR and VNTR of 5-HTT) with the ORs of 1.21-2.07 in global population. We found that the variant of ɛ2 of ApoE could uniquely decrease the risk of OSA in the East Asian subgroup, while the other 6 variants, including ɛ4 in ApoE, -308G/A in TNF-α, Pro1019Pro in LEPR, D/I in ACE, LPR and VNTR in 5-HTT, could increase the risk of OSA. As for the European subpopulation, we only found that -308G/A in TNF-α could increase the risk for OSA.

CONCLUSIONS

Eleven variants from the candidate genes are associated with the risk of OSA, which also show ethnicity differences in East Asian and European subgroups.

Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphism and obstructive sleep apnoea in a Chinese population: A meta-analysis

Introduction:

Many studies have investigated the association between angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and susceptibility to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). However, few have confirmed the relationship between ACE and OSA in the Chinese population. We performed a meta-analysis of studies relating the ACE I/D polymorphism to the risk of OSA in a Chinese population.

Methods:

We evaluated eligible published studies from several databases for this meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed for hypertension. Pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a fixed- or random-effects model.

Results:

Ten studies were identified to analyse the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and OSA risk. No marked associations were found in any genetic model (p>0.05). Subgroup analysis showed an association with hypertension (D vs. I, DD vs. II, ID vs. DD+II, DD+ID vs. II, ID vs. II; p<0.05), which was confirmed by sensitivity analyses. No obvious publication bias was found using Egger’s test (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

The ACE I/D polymorphism was not associated with an increased risk of OSA in a Chinese population. However, within the hypertensive subgroup, we detected a significant association between the ACE polymorphism and OSA. More case-control investigations are required.

ACE insertion/deletion genetic polymorphism, serum ACE levels and high dietary salt intake influence the risk of obesity development among the Saudi adult population

Introduction:

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), which contributes to adipocyte growth, differentiation and function, has recently been linked with both salt metabolism and obesity development. Therefore, this study has aimed to investigate the putative relationship between ACE genetic polymorphism, serum ACE levels and salt consumption on the risk of developing obesity in the Saudi population.

Materials and methods:

ACE genotype status of 267 adult Saudi volunteers (124 obese and 143 non-obese) was correlated with their serum ACE activity and dietary salt intake amounts.

Results:

Obesity was more prevalent in deletion-deletion genotype individuals (p<0.03), under dominant, co-dominant and monoallelic conditions (p<0.04). Deletion allele corresponds to serum ACE activity in obese patients (p<0.05). The amount of salt intake (<6 g/d) was significantly associated with obesity and particularly high in deletion-deletion and insertion-deletion genotype carriers (p<0.001). STITCH analysis underlined interactions of the ACE protein with sodium molecule, REN, ACE2, KNG1 and AGTR1 in a biological network.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest the positive association between ACE deletion genotype, serum ACE activity and sodium intake with risk of obesity development in the Saudi population.