Relationship Between Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and PR Interval

Abstract

Introduction: Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and electrocardiogram and OSA severity index relationship that may affect the PR interval were studied. Patients and Methods: This study included 85 people who had OSA diagnosed at our clinic between January 2013 and August 2013. Their polysomnography (PSG) reports were evaluated by physicians who are expert in their fields. Individuals with severe OSA diseases were categorized as group 1, and individuals with mild to moderate OSA were categorized as group 2. Results: Age distribution of individuals who participated to the study ranged from 20 years to 85 years (mean ± standard deviation, 45.5 ± 13.2 years). Fifty-one (60%) of those individuals were men, and 34 (40%) of them were women. The PR interval for the group who had severe OSA on PSG (group 1) was 163.1 ± 35.2 ms, and it was 147.8 ± 29.3 in group 2. Conclusion: It was observed that individuals having severe OSA had higher PR intervals than individuals who had mild to moderate OSA. It was determined that results were statistically significant (p< 0.05, p= 0.032). We believe that apnea-hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation index, and arousal values, which are indications of OSA severity and parameters of hypoxia-reoxygenation, contribute to PR prolongation.