Influence of the severity of obstructive sleep apnea on nocturnal heart rate indices and its association with hypertension.

Objective: Both heart rate (HR) and blood pressure parameters provide important information on the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular regulatory mechanisms, and are mainly affected by the autonomic nervous system. We sought to clarify whether the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects nocturnal HRs and whether there is a relationship between nocturnal HRs and the presence of hypertension.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of all patients who performed nocturnal polysomnography with monitoring of HRs, and examined whether there is a relationship among the nocturnal HRs, the severity of OSA and the presence of hypertension.

Influence of the right- versus left-sided sleeping position on the apnea-hypopnea index in patients with sleep apnea.

Purpose: Sleep and sleep position have a significant impact on physical, cardiac and mental health, and have been evaluated in numerous studies particularly in terms of lateral sleeping positions and their association with diseases. We retrospectively examined the relationship between the sleeping position and position-specific apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSA) patients.

Methods: We assessed the sleeping body position and the body position-specific AHI score in patients who were referred for suspected OSA and underwent diagnostic nocturnal polysomnography.