title: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: An important piece in the puzzle of cardiovascular risk factors.
abstract: The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) is a clinical entity characterized by recurring episodes of apnea and/or hypopnea during sleep, due to a total or partial collapse, respectively, of the upper airway. This collapse originates a set of pathophysiological changes that determine the appearance of several cardiovascular complications. OSA contributes for the development of hypertension, heart failure, arrhythmias and coronary heart disease. Nowadays it is recognized to be an important public health problem, taking into account not just its repercussions but also its prevalence, since the main risk factor for the disease is obesity, a growing problem worldwide, both in developed and developing countries. The present review summarizes the current knowledge about OSA, as regards its definition, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, cardiovascular effects and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal. Electronic address: ccatiasofia@sapo.pt.
authors.forename: Cátia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Severino
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Nuno
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cabanelas
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Service, Hospital de Santarém, Santarém, Portugal.
authors.forename: Margarida
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leal
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Cardiovascular risk; Obesity; Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome; Síndrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño; obesidad; riesgo cardiovascular