Sleeping Beauty or the Beast? – The Metabolic Syndrome from an Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Perspective

: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a significant health issue. Patients with cardiovascular disease as well as patients with diabetes have a high prevalence of OSA, and the prevalence of coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and diabetes is increased in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. Physiological responses to OSA include sympathetic activation, neurohumoral changes and inflammation, all of which are precursors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. International guidelines are starting to recognise the importance of OSA for patients with cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure and hypertension. Diagnosis is important, and home-based sleep testing devices can facilitate this process. Treating OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been shown to reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with hypertension, but more research is needed to determine which components of the metabolic syndrome respond best to the addition of CPAP therapy.