JOPIC
Journal of Pulmonology and Intensive Care

The JoPIC is an independent-unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal of current national and international issues and reviews for original clinical and experimental research, interesting case reports, surgical techniques, differential diagnoses, editorial opinions, letters to the editor, and educational papers in pulmonology, thoracic surgery, occupational diseases, allergology, and intensive care medicine.

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Original Article
Sleep-disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoxemia in patients followed for pulmonary hypertension
Abstract
Aims: To describe sleep-disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoxemia in patients followed for pulmonary hypertension (PH), and explore associations with cardiopulmonary characteristics.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study examined 32 adults who underwent polysomnography (PSG) during PH care between August 2008 and September 2014. Detailed PSG data were available for 29 patients. The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) quantified respiratory events per hour of sleep. Nocturnal hypoxemia was defined as mean sleep oxygen saturation ≤88%, retaining the original definition. Mann-Whitney U and Fisher exact tests were used.
Results: Twenty-five patients (78.1%) were women; mean age was 58.3±14.5 years. Among patients with PSG data, 20 (69.0%) had AHI ≥5/h, 10 (34.5%) AHI ≥15/h, and seven (24.1%) AHI ≥30/h. Nocturnal hypoxemia occurred in 12 patients (41.4%) and was associated with a larger right ventricular diameter (median 4.05 vs 3.20 cm; p=0.002). Hypoxemia was more frequent in pulmonary arterial hypertension than other PH groups (66.7% vs 23.5%; p=0.029). Patients with AHI ≥15/h had higher body-mass index and lower minimum sleep oxygen saturation (p=0.005 and p=0.029).
Conclusion: In patients undergoing PSG during PH follow-up, sleep-disordered breathing affected approximately two-thirds and nocturnal hypoxemia two-fifths. Hypoxemia was associated with larger right ventricular diameter. These findings support considering nocturnal oxygenation alongside AHI in clinically selected patients, particularly those with right ventricular enlargement. Prospective studies should clarify whether hypoxemia predicts subsequent right ventricular remodeling.

Keywords : Hypertension, pulmonary, sleep apnea syndromes, hypoxia, polysomnography

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Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Dokuz Eylül University Ethics Committee for Non-interventional Researches (Date: 29.11.2013, Decision No: 2013/43-03). 

Informed Consent

As this was a retrospective study, formal written informed consent was not required and was therefore not obtained. This retrospective study used pre-existing anonymized patient data. No additional intervention was performed, and there was no direct patient contact. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee, and the requirement for written informed consent was waived by the ethics committee.

Author Contributions

Concept: CS; Design: CS; Control: CS, Oİ; Validation: CS; Resources: ÖK; Materials: Oİ; Data Collection and/or Processing: ÖK; Analysis and/or Interpretation: Oİ; Visualization: ÖK; Literature Review: ARB; Article Writing: ÖK, ARB; Critical Review: All Authors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this study.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the conduct or publication of this research.


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Article available in :
Volume 4, Issue 4, 2026
Page : 118-122
https://doi.org/10.51271/JOPIC-0091
Article Information
Received : 25 Sep 2026
Accepted : 25 Oct 2026
Published : 28 Oct 2026
Corresponding Author :

Ahmet Rıdvan Bilgiç: Department of Chest Diseases, Kırşehir Training and Research Hospital, Kırşehir, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Karakılıç Ö, Bilgiç AR, Sevinç C, İtil O. Sleep-disordered breathing and nocturnal hypoxemia in patients followed for pulmonary hypertension. J Pulmonol Intens Care. 2026;4(4):118-122. doi:10.51271/JOPIC-0091

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