{"id":1570,"date":"2014-04-13T15:17:49","date_gmt":"2014-04-13T14:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/heart-journalscan\/?p=1570"},"modified":"2015-11-12T16:45:15","modified_gmt":"2015-11-12T15:45:15","slug":"treatment-of-obstructive-sleep-apnea-lowers-blood-pressure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/heart\/2014\/04\/13\/treatment-of-obstructive-sleep-apnea-lowers-blood-pressure\/","title":{"rendered":"Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea lowers blood pressure"},"content":{"rendered":"

More than 70% of patients with resistant hypertension have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for OSA improves blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension is unknown.\u00a0 This was a randomized controlled trial of CPAP in 194 patients with resistant hypertension in the setting of OSA. The primary outcome was the change in 24-hour ambulatory mean blood pressure (AMBP) from baseline to 12 weeks post-randomization. Medical therapy used for resistant hypertension did not differ between the two groups. Patients treated with CPAP showed a greater decrease in 24-hour AMBP (3.1mmHg, 95% CI 0.6-5.6mmHg, p=.02). In analyses restricted to patients tolerant of CPAP, akin to an on-treatment analysis, the intervention resulted in a larger decrease in AMBP (4.4mmHg, 95% CI 1.8-7mmHg). Furthermore, each hour of CPAP use was associated with a 1.3 mmHg decrease in AMBP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

Among patients with OSA and resistant hypertension, CPAP therapy for 12 weeks resulted in improvements in 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure. The degree of blood pressure change was small, but could have meaningful effects on cardiovascular mortality.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Summarized by Steven M. Bradley and Supriya Shore<\/p>\n