title: Cortisol circadian rhythm and 24-hour Holter arterial pressure in OSAS patients.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a syndrome in which the principal symptom is apnea during sleep. Hypoxia in OSAS is a stress condition, which when prolonged in time, could alter hypothalamo-hypophysial-suprarenal control and the cortisol cicadian rhythm. We studied 28 patients with OSAS (30-60 years old), 20 female and 8 male. We calculated the OSAS class according to the Simmons classification. Twenty of the 28 patients maintained unmodified cortisol circadian rhythms, while 8 had cortisol levels more elevated in late and nocturnal hours. Holter monitoring showed arterial hypertension in 8 of the 28 patients (the same patients with cortisol circadian rhythm alteration). Our data seem to indicate that when the OSAS patients lack cortisol circadian rhythm they are having arterial hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche, Endocrinologia, Policlinico Umberto I, Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. papitebe@hotmail.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parlapiano
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Borgia
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Minni
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessandri
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Basal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saponara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone