Consequences of Airway Obstruction

About 33% of OSA patients have hypertension and 33% of hypertensive patients have OSA. Treatment of OSA is known to cause resolution of hypertension in these patients.
The irregular heart rhythms, fluctuations of blood pressure combined with blood gas changes which are a decrease in oxygen level and increase in carbon-di-oxide levels in the blood can sometimes lead to Myocardial Infarction and sudden death.

b) Consequence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea on the Brain and Nervous System

The reduced level of oxygen causes problems with a persons cognitive skill. Besides this it can lead to anoxia of the brain tissue and its patchy death. It can also cause Papilloedema or swelling of the sensitive retinal tissues of the eyes due to the low oxygen and high carbon-di-oxide levels.

There can be a rise in the pressure within the brain blood vessels which is called intracranial hypertension.

Both these conditions can resolve if treatment is administered for the Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Published on Feb 08, 2013
Last Updated on Feb 07, 2020

sunny1 Tuesday, June 3, 2008

See this recent publication that indicates that obstructive Sleep Apnea - Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). We hypothesized that OSA is independently related to the risk of CAD or death from any cause. In this observational cohort study, patients referred for OSA underwent polysomnography, and subsequent CAD events (myocardial infarction, coronary angiography or bypass graft surgery) or death were recorded. Patients were divided into exposure (AHI 15) and comparison groups (AHI Increased Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Death, Shah NA et al New Haven, CT