Does Obstructive Sleep Apnea Influence Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Response to Antihypertensive Treatment?

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in patients with hypertension and may impair blood pressure (BP) and target-organ damage responses to antihypertensive therapy. In this study, we recruited hypertensive patients who underwent treatment with a 30-day regimen of hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg plus enalapril (20 mg BID) or losartan (50 mg BID) and were assessed with a baseline clinical evaluation, polysomnography, 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. All the examinations except for polysomnography were repeated at 6 and 18 months of follow-up.

Association of obstructive sleep apnea with arterial stiffness and nondipping blood pressure in patients with hypertension.

Whether sex influences the association of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with markers of cardiovascular risk in patients with hypertension is unknown. In this study, 95 hypertensive participants underwent carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, echocardiogram, and polysomnography after a 30-day standardized treatment with hydrochlorothiazide plus enalapril or losartan. OSA was present in 52 patients.

Effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure in lowering blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a critical review of the literature.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an extremely common comorbid condition in patients with hypertension, with a prevalence of ~50%. There is growing evidence suggesting that OSA is a secondary cause of hypertension, associated with both poor blood pressure (BP) control and target organ damage in patients with hypertension. The application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during sleep is the gold standard treatment of moderate- to-severe OSA and very effective in abolishing obstructive respiratory events.