title: Does continuous positive airway pressure reduce aldosterone levels in patients with obstructive sleep apnea?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aldosterone is associated with the development of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and cardiovascular diseases. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is an effective treatment for OSA, but the impact of CPAP therapy on aldosterone levels in patients with OSA remains unclear. To address this issue, a meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of CPAP therapy on serum aldosterone levels in OSA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two reviewers independently searched PubMed, Cochrane library, Embase, and Web of Science before March 2015. Information on characteristics of subjects, study design, and pre- and post-CPAP treatment of serum aldosterone was extracted for analysis. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to estimate the treatment effects of CPAP therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 5 studies involving 329 patients were pooled into this meta-analysis, including 3 observational studies and 2 randomized controlled studies. Results indicated significantly decreased aldosterone levels after CPAP therapy (SMD = -0.236, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = -0.45 to -0.02, z = 2.12, p = 0.034).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggested that CPAP therapy was associated with a decrease in serum aldosterone in patients with OSA. Further large-scale, well-designed interventional investigations are needed to clarify this issue.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Xiamen University, No. 201-209, Hubin South Road, SiMing District, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 351004, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Si-Jiu
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China. jxtsci@126.com.|Teaching Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Xiamen, China. jxtsci@126.com.
authors.forename: Xing-Tang
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.|Teaching Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.|Teaching Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.|Teaching Hospital of FuJian Medical University, Xiamen, China.
authors.forename: Wei-Xian
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood*; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure; D006801:Humans; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000450:Aldosterone
keywords: Aldosterone; Continuous positive airway pressure; Obstructive sleep apnea