Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome exacerbates morning blood pressure surges, increasing the risk of organ damage and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients.
This historical perspective highlights how obstructive sleep apnea drives sustained hypertension and cardiovascular events through acute and morning blood pressure surges.
In obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), an underlying disease of secondary hypertension, repeated episodes of asphyxia due to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), followed by arousal, lead to various cardiovascular consequences. Using a canine model of OSAS, it was found that a single load of OSA caused an abrupt increase in blood pressure (BP) (Apnea Surge in seconds), while multiple OSA episodes occurring nightly for 1-3 months led to a sustained elevation of BP during both nighttime and daytime. Epidemiological studies on 24-hour ambulatory BP measurements revealed that some hypertensive patients experienced elevated BP in the early morning (Morning Surge), which could be intensified by OSAS. The resonance of Apnea Surge in seconds and Morning Surge increases the risk of organ damage, triggers the cardiovascular events, and adversely affects the prognosis of hypertensive patients with OSAS. For ameliorating these risks, OSA should be treated with positive airway pressure properly.
Yasuma et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Hypertension. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome exacerbates morning blood pressure surges, increasing the risk of organ damage and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients.