Outcomes of Sleep Disordered Breathing in Pregnancy

Sleep disordered breathing has been linked to adverse cardiovascular outcomes in the general population. In pregnancy, sleep disordered breathing has also been linked to pathologic disorders that have been associated with long term cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes such as gestational hypertensive disorders and gestational diabetes mellitus. Endothelial dysfunction, sympathetic stimulation and inflammation are among the mechanisms proposed to explain the association with adverse outcomes. In addition to mechanistic research, future efforts need to focus on the effect of therapy on such outcomes.