Effects of antihypertensive medication on hypertension in patients with sleep apnoea

The present study was to investigate the effect of four different antihypertensive medications [atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), isradipine and spirapril] on the blood pressure and metabolic state of 18 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. All patients received each of the drugs for a period of 8 weeks according to a randomized crossover design. Although all of the medications decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP), only spirapril decreased SBP significantly (17 +/- 15 mmHg; p < 0.001). All of the medications decreased diastolic blood pressure (DBP) significantly, but spirapril produced the greatest reduction (5-8 vs 10 mmHg, respectively). Both HCTZ and isradipine increased fasting serum total cholesterol concentration (0.3 +/- 0.5 and 0.3 +/- 0.4 mmol/l, respectively; p < 0.05). Atenolol decreased fasting serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol concentration significantly (0.12 +/- 0.15 mmol/l; p < 0.01). Both HCTZ and isradipine increased fasting serum glucose concentration significantly (0.7 +/- 0.8 mmol/l and 0.6 +/- 0.7 mmol/l, respectively; p < 0.01). No significant effect on serum lipid and glucose levels was observed with spirapril. On the basis of these results, spirapril was the best medication for hypertensive patients with obstructive sleep apnoea.