Respiratory-circulatory interactions in obstructive sleep apnea

There is increasing recognition of the widespread prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea and the implications of sleep apnea for understanding the pathophysiology of cardiac and vascular disease (1,2). Obstruction of the upper airway during sleep results in striking changes in neural and circulatory measurements. Consequent disturbances in cardiovascular control may persist into the daytime with abnormalities in neural control evident even during normoxic daytime wakefulness. Abnormalities in cardiac and vascular function during sleep and wakefulness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea speak directly to the importance of interactions between respiration and neural circulatory control in these patients.