Sleep Apnea, Hypertension and the Sympathetic Nervous System in the Adult Population

Overview

Journal J Clin Med

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2020 Feb 27

PMID 32098169

Citations 33

Authors

Shreyas Venkataraman

Soumya Vungarala

Naima Covassin

Virend K Somers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Sleep apnea is very common in patients with cardiovascular disease, especially in patients with hypertension. Over the last few decades a number of discoveries have helped support a causal relationship between the two and even resistant hypertension. The role neurogenic mechanisms play has gathered more attention in the recent past due to their immediate bedside utility. Several innovative discoveries in pathogenesis including those exploring the role of baroreflex gain, cardiovascular variability, chemoreceptor reflex activation and the sympathetic nervous system have emerged. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology of sleep apnea and hypertension and the pathogenic mechanisms contributing to neurogenic hypertension. Furthermore, recent management strategies in addition to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), such as upper airway stimulation and renal denervation that target these pathogenic mechanisms, are also discussed.

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