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Sleep-disordered breathing and cardiovascular disease

Barbara Phillips1

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536-00847, USA. bphil95@aol.com

Sleep Medicine Reviews
|March 2, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Untreated sleep apnea is a significant risk factor for hypertension. CPAP treatment can lower blood pressure, yet sleep apnea is often overlooked in hypertension management strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Hypertension Research

Background:

  • Untreated sleep apnea is a recognized risk factor for hypertension.
  • Cardiovascular conditions are strongly associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB).
  • Current hypertension management guidelines often fail to mention SDB screening or treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases.
  • To emphasize the importance of SDB in hypertension management.
  • To review the cardiovascular sequelae of SDB and the impact of CPAP treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing cross-sectional and prospective studies on SDB and cardiovascular conditions.
  • Analysis of treatment studies involving CPAP therapy for SDB.
  • Synthesis of evidence linking SDB to hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmias.

Main Results:

  • CPAP treatment effectively reduces blood pressure, comparable to pharmacological monotherapy.
  • Strong associations exist between SDB and hypertension, congestive heart failure, and bradyarrhythmias.
  • CPAP treatment shows potential for improving or reducing the risk of cardiovascular sequelae of SDB.

Conclusions:

  • Sleep apnea is a critical, often overlooked, factor in hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases.
  • Screening for and treating sleep apnea should be integrated into cardiovascular disease management.
  • Further prospective studies are required to confirm SDB-cardiovascular disease relationships and risks.

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