Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Cardiovascular Risk Factors in High-Risk Patients

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in developed countries. Obstructive sleep apnea is a highly prevalent condition characterized by repetitive upper airway collapse during sleep. A large body of evidence suggests that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with the development of cardiovascular disease and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the current gold standard for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea. CPAP devices maintain upper airway patency using a pneumatic splint, thereby ameliorating the repetitive deoxygenation and reoxygenation characteristic of sleep in obstructive sleep apnea patients. Accumulating evidence suggests that CPAP treatment may lead to a reduction in blood pressure. Limited evidence also suggests that CPAP therapy may modulate glucose metabolism, serum cholesterol levels, and inflammatory biomarkers. Thus, CPAP treatment may be associated with cardiovascular risk factor modification in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, who are often obese and at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This review updates the knowledge on the effects of CPAP on cardiovascular risk factors from recently published randomized trials.