The Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Hypertension

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or complete upper airway obstruction during sleep. Hypertension (HTN) is defined by the presence of a chronic elevation of systemic arterial pressure above a certain threshold value (≥140 mm Hg systolic or ≥90 mm Hg diastolic). On the surface, OSA and HTN appear very different from one another. Despite this, they share several common risk factors including obesity, male gender, and advancing age. In 2003, the Seventh Joint National Committee (JNC VII) recognized OSA as a secondary cause of HTN. As physicians, our goal is to understand the OSA-HTN association better through academic study regarding its epidemiology, its pathophysiology, and its treatment.