Prolonged intermittent hypoxia accelerates cardiovascular aging and mortality: insights from a murine model of OSA

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) accelerates cardiovascular aging through intermittent hypoxia (IH). We exposed mice to 22 months of IH, modeling lifelong OSA. Compared to controls, IH mice exhibited higher mortality, elevated blood pressure, impaired systolic and diastolic function, vascular stiffening, reduced coronary reserve, and ECG abnormalities. These findings suggest that chronic IH significantly exacerbates cardiovascular decline with aging, underscoring the importance of early OSA diagnosis and intervention.