[Sleep apnea syndrome: SAS].

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. OSA is the frequent underlying disease of secondary hypertension and resistant hypertension. In 2003, the Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recognized sleep apnea as a common and identifiable cause of hypertension and suggested blood pressure screening among patients with OSA. OSA increases both daytime and nocturnal ambulatory blood pressures through the activation of various neurohumoral factors including the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Randomized, controlled trials have evaluated the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to reduce BP among persons with OSA. The benefits of OSA treatment are related to implications for hypertension management.