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Up-to-date advance in the relationship between OSA and stroke: a narrative review

  • Sleep Breathing Physiology and Disorders • Review
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Abstract

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and stroke affect each other. In this review, we summarized the effect of OSA on the onset and recurrence of stroke, the prognosis, and the treatment of poststroke patients with OSA.

Methods

Pubmed/MEDLINE were searched through May 2023 to explore the relationship between OSA and stroke. The relevant papers included OSA and stroke, OSA and recurrent stroke, and the prognosis and treatment of poststroke patients with OSA.

Results

The results showed that OSA can promote the onset and recurrence of stroke and that OSA may adversely affect the prognosis of poststroke patients. The application of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and other treatments may benefit poststroke patients with OSA, though the long term effects of treatment are not well documented.

Conclusion

Both the onset and recurrence of stroke closely correlated with OSA, but the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Further studies should be carried out to explore effective treatments in patients with stroke and OSA.

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Funding

The study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (81900084).

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Author notes

  1. Bo Sun and Qiyun Ma contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Affiliated Huaian No.1 People’s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 6 Beijing Road West, Huaian, 223300, Jiangsu, China

    Bo Sun, Qiyun Ma, Jiani Shen, Zili Meng & Jing Xu

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  1. Bo Sun
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Contributions

Bo Sun: screening literature, data analysis, manuscript editing; Qiyun Ma: screening literature, data analysis, manuscript modifying, and polishing; Jiani Shen: screening literature, data analysis; Zili Meng: critical analysis, final approval; Jing Xu: critical analysis, manuscript editing, and final approval

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Correspondence to Jing Xu.

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Sun, B., Ma, Q., Shen, J. et al. Up-to-date advance in the relationship between OSA and stroke: a narrative review. Sleep Breath 28, 53–60 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-023-02904-2

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