Blood viscosity and platelet function in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome treated with nasal continuous positive airway pressure.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) have a high incidence of cardiovascular events. We measured whole blood viscosity at high (94.5 s(-1)) and low (0.1 s(-1)) shear rate, hematocrit, fibrinogen, and platelet hemostatic function (PTA-100) at 7-8 p.m. and 7-8 a.m. in 8 controls and 13 patients, once with the established nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) treatment and once without. OSA patients had a higher plasma viscosity (1.37+/-0.11 vs. 1.19+/-0.11 mPa.s in the evening, p<0.05) and fibrinogen (2.61+/-0.49 vs. 2.11+/-0.29 g/l, p<0.05) than controls, without diurnal difference, and similar values with or without NCPAP. Whole blood viscosity and hematocrit were similar in controls and patients before and after a night with or without NCPAP. Platelet activity was significantly higher in the morning than in the evening in controls and patients with or without NCPAP. We conclude that blood viscosity and platelet activity are similar in controls and patients with OSA on a long-term treatment with NCPAP, which is not worsened by a single night without NCPAP. The increase of plasma viscosity and fibrinogen in OSA patients as well as the general increase of platelet aggregation in the morning may contribute to the increased incidence of cardiovascular events.