Letter regarding article by Arias et al, "obstructive sleep apnea syndrome affects left ventricular diastolic function: effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure in men".

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Affects Left Ventricular Diastolic Function Effects of Nasal Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Men

Background—The purpose of this study was to determine the role of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) as an independent risk factor for the development of left ventricular diastolic abnormalities. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) improves such alterations in OSAS patients by eliminating apneic events. Methods and Results—In this prosp...

Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy Running title: Butt et al.; Echocardiography in obstructive sleep apnea

Effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure in men on global left ventricular myocardial performance in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

The influence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) on left ventricular function remains controversial. We examined the influence of OSAS on global left ventricular function using the myocardial performance index (Tei index) and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and investigated the effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) on these parameters. We obtained echo...

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. As it is strongly associated with known cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, OSA is an independent risk factor for hypertension and has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of congestive cardiac failure, pulmonary hyperte...

Acute effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure on 24-hour blood pressure and catecholamines in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

To assess the acute effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on the 24-hour blood pressure and the secretion of catecholamines in urine and plasma, we investigated the changes in the 24-hour blood pressure and urinary and plasma concentrations of epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) in 26 men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with and without nasal CPAP. Nasal CPAP result...