title: Orexin: a Missing Link Between Sleep Disorders and Heart Failure?
abstract: Sleep disorders represent a significant comorbidity in the heart failure population, and there is mounting evidence that treatment of sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea can significantly improve cardiac function. However, the link between these two disorders is still not entirely clear.
  
  
  
  Recently, a novel neurohormonal pathway has been elucidated involving signaling molecules now collectively known as the orexins, which have been implicated in regulating autonomic function during sleep/wake cycles. Further evidence has mounted that orexin signaling is deeply perturbed in the setting of sleep disorders, and furthermore that abnormal orexin signaling may be implicated in the pathology of heart failure. The orexin signaling pathway represents an enticing novel target for both the treatment of sleep disorders as well as heart failure, and may represent one facet of the "missing link" between these two prevalent and often comorbid diseases.
authors.affiliation: Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, 530 First Avenue, Skirball 9N, New York, NY, 10016, USA. stephen.pan@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Leon H. Charney Division of Cardiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, 530 First Avenue, Skirball 9N, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
authors.forename: Carolina S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Euan A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Ashley
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Marco V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Perez
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D000068797:Orexins / Q000502:physiology*; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000068797:Orexins
keywords: HCRTR2; Heart failure; Hypocretin; Orexin; Sleep apnea; Sleep disorder