Management of Hypertension in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is considered to be a secondary form of hypertension and in clinical practice OSA is frequently associated with hypertension, even if proof of causality cannot be established. Growing evidence suggests that OSA is associated with worse blood pressure control, alterations in night-time blood pressure dipping, increased target organ damage, and arterial stiffness in patients with hypertension. This review summarizes the current evidence for managing hypertension in patients with OSA. Particular focus will be devoted to discuss the impact of lifestyle changes, preferences for anti-hypertensive treatment in patients with OSA, and the effects of OSA treatment with continuous positive airway pressure on blood pressure.