Hypertension and Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Diagnosis and treatment of comorbid conditions in hypertension are essential for efficient blood pressure control and for decreasing adverse clinical events and mortality. Sleep apnea, mainly its obstructive form, has a high prevalence both in the general population and in hypertensive patients, the main reason being the worldwide epidemic of obesity. This chapter summarizes the principal issues related to hypertension-sleep apnea relationship: definition of terms, epidemiological data and evidences, clinical manifestations of sleep apnea, pathophysiological background of the adverse effects of sleep apnea on the cardiovascular system, screening and definitive diagnosis, and the effects of specific and nonspecific sleep apnea interventions on hypertension.