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Introduction to Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Cardiovascular Diseases Associated with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Research over the past few decades has suggested that there is a strong association between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular diseases. Although definitive scientific evidence is currently lacking that OSAS actually causes cardiovascular disease, nevertheless, the data available to date strongly implies that there is an association between OSAS and certain cardiovascular disorders including:
- Hypertension - high blood pressure
- Congestive heart failure - accumulation of fluids in the lungs and other body tissues caused by insufficient pumping of blood by the heart muscles
- Arrhythmias - irregular heart beats (e.g., atrial fibrillation)
- Stroke - risk factor for people with hypertension
- Angina pectoris - chest pain that occurs in people with underlying coronary artery disease
