Sleep disorder linked with abnormal lipid levels

In the Respirology study, investigators identified strong associations between several measures of OSA severity and higher total cholesterol, higher LDL-cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, and lower HDL-cholesterol. Lipid status was influenced by geographical location with the highest total cholesterol concentration recorded in Northern Europe.

The analysis included 8592 adults across Europe who were not diagnosed with hyperlipidaemia and were not taking lipid-lowering drugs.

"Our data clearly suggest that sleep apnoea may have a negative impact on lipid levels, which may in part explain the association between sleep apnoea and increased risk for cardiovascular disease," said senior author Dr. Ludger Grote, of Gothenburg University, in Sweden. "Patients with sleep apnoea therefore need careful management of all cardiovascular risk factors including hyperlipidaema."