2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
1 Update on General Medicine
Chapter 3: Hypertension
Special Considerations
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) often coexist. OSAS is a sleep-related breathing disorder with cardinal signs, including obstructive apneas; hypopneas; and sleep disturbances with snoring, restlessness, or resuscitative snorts. This disrupted sleep leads to daytime fatigue, poor concentration, and sleeplessness and has been associated with the development of heart disease and metabolic syndrome. There is an increased prevalence and incidence of hypertension in these patients and an observed dose-response effect between the severity of OSAS and the likelihood of hypertension. Treatment of OSAS can lower BP by clinically significant levels.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 1 - Update on General Medicine. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.