Letter to the Editor

Edematous Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients Have Low Normal Serum Albumin Levels

Authors: Robert P. Blankfield, MD, MS, Mansoor Ahmed, MD, Stephen J. Zyzanski, PHD

Abstract

Previous research has shown that unexplained edema is associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in women.1 Moreover, OSA has been shown to cause edema, for nasal continuous positive airway pressure reduces the amount of edema in OSA patients.2 It is unclear why only some individuals with OSA develop edema. Since a low colloid oncotic pressure promotes edema formation in patients with renal and liver disease, and since the main component of the colloid oncotic pressure is albumin, we conducted a study to determine if OSA patients with edema have lower serum albumin levels than OSA patients without edema.

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References

1. Blankfield RP, Ahmed M, Zyzanski SJ. Idiopathic edema is associated with obstructive sleep apnea in women. Sleep Med 2004;5:583–587.
 
2. Blankfield RP, Ahmed M, Zyzanski SJ. Effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on edema in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Med 2004;5:589–592.
 
3. Streeten DH. Idiopathic edema. Pathogenesis, clinical features, and treatment. Endiocrinol Metab Clin North Am 1995;24:531–547.