Year: 2012
Type: article
Abstract: bstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined by interrupted breathing during sleep due to airway obstruction with an ongoing respiratory effort.In adults, OSA most commonly is caused by decreased muscle tone (required for patency) in the soft tissues of the upper airway. 1 Symptoms of OSA include snoring, daytime sleepiness, morning headache, sexual dysfunction, and mood and behavioral disorders.1 Although sometimes overlooked by physicians, OSA is an independent predictor for cardiovascular disorders.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] In an effort to educate physicians about the seriousness of sleep apnea, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology issued a joint statement in 2008 with the purpose of communicating the idea that sleep apnea is the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease in some patients, whereas it exacerbates this pathological condition in others. 1 Cardiovascular diseases associated with OSA include hypertension, heart failure, stroke, cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial ischemia and infarction, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.[1][2][3]5,7 In addition, OSA is associated with metabolic dysregulation (insulin resistance and lipid disorders), which in turn is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.1,3,7 Figure 1 shows characteristics of OSA and the pathological cascade that can lead to cardiovascular diseases.In this review, our focus will be the effects of OSA on the cerebral circulation and on cerebrovascular diseases.Central sleep apnea, another form of sleep-disordered breathing that is defined by cessation of breathing due to a loss of ventilatory drive, will not be covered except when pertinent to the discussion of OSA.
Authors: David J. Durgan, Robert M. Bryan
Institution: Baylor College of Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,810
OpenAlex ID: W2156876629