[Cardiovascular consequences of sleep apnea].

A growing body of epidemiologic, experimental, and therapeutic data supports an association between sleep disordered breathing and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pathophysiologic mechanisms including sympathetic activation, oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, hyperleptinemia, insulin resistance, lipidic peroxydation, may influence the development and progression of hypertension, ischemic cardiopathy, cardiac rythm disturbances, cardiac failure, renal failure and stroke. Treatment of apneas is associated with a decrease in new cardiovascular events.

Benefits of obstructive sleep apnoea treatment in coronary artery disease: a long-term follow-up study.

Aim: The aim of this long-term prospective study was to evaluate the effect of treating obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) on the rate of cardiovascular events in coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: We prospectively studied 54 patients (mean age 57.3 +/- 10.

Efficacy and cost of home-initiated auto-nCPAP versus conventional nCPAP.

Study Objectives: To compare in a multicenter prospective study the efficacy and cost of conventional nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) initiated at the sleep laboratory versus auto-nCPAP initiated at home.

Design: Patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) were randomized to treatment with either the REM+ auto device in constant mode at the effective pressure determined by titration at the sleep laboratory (n=17) or the REM+ auto device in automatic mode initiated at the patients home by a nurse (n=18). After 2 months, the efficacy and cost of nCPAP therapy and the time from diagnosis to nCPAP were evaluated.