Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea in primary care patients with hypertension

Abstract

Background: As the number of patients with hypertension who have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) might be underestimated, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of OSA and develop a diagnostic algorithm for moderate or severe OSA among primary care (PC) patients with hypertension. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study enrolled patients diagnosed with hypertension aged 18 years or older in Japan from October 2012 to September 2014. Results: Forty-nine patients (64.5%) had 22 or more obstructive respiratory events during sleep. Conclusions: The prevalence of OSA among PC patients with hypertension might be much higher than previously thought.