Arterial hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea — Challenges of association

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA), a highly prevalent disease, has been linked in recent years to cardiometabolic conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze the prediction of arterial hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. We examined the records of 151 patients referred to our Sleep Laboratory Center for nocturnal cardiorespiratory polygraphy in 2011. 99 patients (65.56%) had severe OSA; 100 patients (66.22%) had hypertension. Arterial hypertension in OSA is significantly influenced by age, body mass index and neck circumference. A 10-year increase in age would entail a 7.8% increased risk of hypertension. A 1 kg/m2 increase in BMI would entail a 2.4% increased risk of hypertension. A 1 cm increase in the neck circumference would entail a 0.6% increased risk of hypertension. This study demonstrate the fact that OSA played an important role in the development of arterial hypertension, being influenced by age, body mass index and neck circumference.