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Sympathoadrenal mechanisms in the pathogenesis of sleep apnea-related hypertension

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Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea (OSAH) is regarded as an increasingly common cause of sustained hypertension. The vast majority of mechanistic studies linking these entities have focused on the role of sympathoactivation. This review therefore addresses this purported mechanism by highlighting studies conducted in the past 5 years that speak to OSAH-related changes in sympathoregulation, independent of obesity, as well as the intervening players and pathways that may be relevant to such changes. Finally, studies with a focus on changes in sympathoregulation induced by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy are discussed. Taken together, these findings strengthen the claim that the sympathoadrenal pressor system is essential for the development of the hypertensive state in individuals with OSAH.

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  1. Suite 435, Mount Sinai Hospital, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X5, Canada

    Alexander G. Logan

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  1. Oded Friedman
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  2. Alexander G. Logan
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Correspondence to Alexander G. Logan.

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Friedman, O., Logan, A.G. Sympathoadrenal mechanisms in the pathogenesis of sleep apnea-related hypertension. Current Science Inc 11, 212–216 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-009-0037-2

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