Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Sleep Apnea
Columbia University
Summary
This double-blind placebo-controlled parallel group randomized study design will be used to test whether 4 weeks of atorvastatin 10 mg daily reduces levels of inflammatory markers in OSA patients treated with CPAP (standard of care). The purpose of this study is to investigate: 1) whether statins reduce endothelial inflammation and pro-thrombotic conditions in OSA, including in patients adherent to CPAP (Aim 1); and 2) whether statins reduce endothelial inflammation and pro-thrombotic conditions by improving endothelial cholesterol metabolism and trafficking in OSA (Aim 2).
Description
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition that affects a quarter of American adults, triples the risk for cardiovascular diseases and increases all-cause mortality. Standard therapy with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) does not improve cardiovascular risk. Based on the investigators' mechanistic observation that the abnormal cycle of endothelial inflammation can be disrupted with statin therapy, the investigators now propose randomized clinical trial of statins vs. placebo to determine its effects on endothelial dysfunction in OSA patients treated with CPAP, which may provide the b…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged ≥18 years * Newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who were never treated with CPAP. OSA is defined as apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5 events/hour of sleep. Exclusion Criteria: * A history of coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, diabetes, malignancy, chronic pulmonary, kidney or rheumatologic disease, muscle pain/fatigue, smoking within the past 5 years * Regular use of any medications
Interventions
- DrugAtorvastatin 10mg
Atorvastatin 10 mg daily for 28 days will be randomly allocated to OSA patients regardless of adherence with CPAP. Atorvastatin and placebo will be encapsulated to appear identical and dispensed by the research pharmacy.
- DrugPlacebo
Placebo daily for 28 days will be randomly allocated to OSA patients regardless of adherence with CPAP. Atorvastatin and placebo will be encapsulated to appear identical and dispensed by the research pharmacy.
- OtherContinuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy
CPAP is a standard of care for OSA and will be prescribed by care providers not associated with this study based on clinical indications. The investigators will have no role in prescribing CPAP.
Location
- Columbia University Irving Medical CenterNew York, New York