title: [Sleep apnea--treatment improves hypertension].
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea and arterial hypertension are frequent diseases, but they are also often overlooked. There is a causal relationship of sleep apnea and hypertension. Undiagnosed sleep apnea is probably the most important reason for "essential" hypertension. It is important to identify these patients. All hypertensive patients should be asked for snoring, breathing arrest and daytime sleepiness, neck circumference should be measured, and an ambulant sleep apnea monitoring should be performed, if necessary. Especially patients with refractory hypertension or non-dippers should be screened for sleep apnea and patients with sleep apnea should be examined for arterial hypertension. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can effectively lower blood pressure in the hypertensive sleep apnea patient. This is especially true for the obstructive sleep apnea patient with refractory hypertension. CPAP therapy is probably the best therapy for sleep apnea-induced nocturnal blood pressure rises.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Innere Medizin II, Alfried Krupp Krankenhaus Essen, Essen, Germany. wolfgang.grotz@krupp-krankenhaus.de
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grotz
authors.forename: Nikolaus
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Büchner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wessendorf
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Teschler
authors.forename: Ludger
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grote
authors.forename: Heinrich F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Lars Christian
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Rump
mesh_terms: D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008403:Mass Screening; D017286:Polysomnography; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*