Obstructive Sleep Apnea as Possible Causal Factor for Visit-to-Visit Blood Pressure Variability.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have shown that visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, it has not been clarified whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with visit-to-visit BPV.


RESULTS
The 56 subjects with OSA and 26 control subjects without OSA were examined. Office BP was measured on 5 separate consecutive occasions prior to a polysomnography examination. The visit-to-visit BPV was expressed as the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of the 5 systolic BP measurements. In subjects with an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of more than 20 episodes per hour, the visit-to-visit BPV was also measured after the start of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. Overall, the AHI positively correlated with the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of systolic BP. In a multivariate analysis, the plasma noradrenaline level and the AHI were independently and positively correlated with the standard deviation and the coefficient of variation of the systolic BP. Among the patients who underwent CPAP therapy, good adherence with CPAP therapy significantly reduced the visit-to-visit BPV.


CONCLUSIONS
OSA is associated with abnormal visit-to-visit BPV and sympathetic activation seems to be related in some way. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1787-1794).
Department of Cardiology, Tokyo Medical University.
Kazuki
K
Shiina
Hirofumi
H
Tomiyama
Yoshifumi
Y
Takata
Chisa
C
Matsumoto
Mari
M
Odaira
Kota
K
Kato
Tasuku
T
Yamaguchi
Yasuhiro
Y
Usui
Akira
A
Yamashina
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001794:Blood Pressure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy