Central Sleep Apnea in Renal and Endocrine Disease

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a disorder characterized by a lack of drive to breathe during sleep. Rare in the general population, it is most commonly seen in patients with heart failure, but is also prevalent, though often under-recognized, in conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), acromegaly, and to a lesser extent, hypothyroidism. While there is a relative paucity of data compared to obstructive sleep apnea, there is evidence to suggest CSA may have an impact on morbidity and mortality in CKD, driven by the deleterious impact of intermittent hypoxia on kidney pathology.