Cardiopulmonary disorders during sleep: diagnosis and management

Sleep-related breathing disorders may contribute to the nocturnal peak in human mortality. Nocturnal hypoxia has been associated with serious ventricular tachyarrhythmias as well as life-threatening bradyarrhythmias. Obesity and snoring, both of which increase with age, have been identified as risk factors for sleep-related breathing disorders, as have hypertension and heart disease.