Echocardiographic findings and plasma endothelin-1 levels in obese patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea

Objective Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Both promote endothelial dysfunction contributing to systemic and pulmonary hypertension over time. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays a pivotal role in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The aim of the present study was to assess the association between plasma ET-1 and echocardiographic findings in obese individuals with and without OSA, as well as in non-obese patients with OSA.