Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Cardiovascular Health.
Purpose of Review: Sleep-disordered breathing is a widely prevalent condition and may have serious medical, social, and economic consequences. This review evaluates the role of sleep-disordered breathing in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality on the basis of recent literature.
Recent Findings: Epidemiologic studies, retrospective reviews, and prospective clinical trials suggest a strong association between sleep-disordered breathing and adverse cardiovascular events. Individuals with sleep-disordered breathing have a higher prevalence of hypertension, which attenuates with treatment. Furthermore, the presence of sleep-disordered breathing augurs an increased risk of coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure.
Summary: Recent research provides an emerging evidence of the role of sleep-disordered breathing as a risk factor for diverse cardiovascular disorders.

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) constitutes a spectrum of disorders encompassing conditions such as snoring, sleep apnea, and upper airway resistance syndrome. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a widely prevalent manifestation of this syndrome and is characterized by episodes of partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly associated with obesity, which is a risk factor for hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD); however, recent research has implicated OSA as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disorders. An observational study published recently monitored 377 individuals with primary snoring, 403 individuals with untreated mild to moderate OSA, 235 individuals with severe OSA who refused treatment, 372 individuals with OSA using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, and 264 healthy individuals for a mean of 10.1 years. All study participants underwent polysomnography at entry. The primary endpoints of the study were fatal (death of myocardial infarction or stroke) and nonfatal (myocardial infarction, stroke, or acute coronary insufficiency requiring invasive management) cardiovascular events. The odds that these endpoints would be met during the follow-up interval were three times as high in individuals with untreated severe apnea as in the healthy control individuals; however, the outcomes in primary snorers, individuals with untreated mild to moderate apnea, and individuals with apnea treated with CPAP were not significantly different from those in healthy control individuals.