A blood marker was elevated in a sleep-apnea research review
The analysis reported higher levels of a marker linked to blood-vessel dysfunction, but its value for diagnosis or predicting cardiovascular disease remains unproven.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
This review found higher circulating levels of a vascular marker in people with obstructive sleep apnea, with substantial variation between studies. The finding supports further investigation of the marker, but does not establish a useful diagnostic test or predict who will develop cardiovascular disease. The abstract also leaves the comparison group unspecified.
This abstract-based summary cannot identify the comparator or measurement timing. High variation between studies and the authors' call for further validation limit conclusions about clinical use.
A laboratory marker was measured
The measured endpoint was blood levels of VCAM-1, which the authors discuss as a marker of inflammation and dysfunction in the blood-vessel lining. These laboratory measurements are distinct from cardiovascular events or treatment outcomes.
Consistency came with substantial variation
Higher levels appeared across subgroup analyses, although results varied with ethnicity and sleep-apnea severity. Sensitivity analyses supported the overall finding, but that consistency does not remove the large differences between studies.
The original publication
A systematic review, meta-analysis, and trial sequential analysis on association of circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) levels in obstructive sleep apnea adults: A possible link between cardiovascular disease and obstructive sleep apnea.
Imani MM, Imani A, Akbari S et al.
Int Orthod · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41066972
- Record checked
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