Nasal continuous positive airway pressure changes blood pressure non-dippers to dippers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

• Published in: Sleep (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 1999-11, Vol.22 (7), p.849-853
• Main Authors: AKASHIBA, T, MINEMURA, H, YAMAMOTO, H, KOSAKA, N, SAITO, O, HORIE, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Circadian Rhythm - physiology; Diseases of the upper aerodigestive tract; Ent and stomatology; Humans; Hypertension - diagnosis; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Positive-Pressure Respiration - methods; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Severity of Illness Index; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - diagnosis; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive - therapy
• ISSN: 0161-8105; 1550-9109
• DOI: 10.1093/sleep/22.7.849

To evaluate the circadian pattern of blood pressure (BP) and the effects of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), we examined 24-hour BP in 38 male OSA patients with and without nasal CPAP. We measured the BP at 30-min intervals during daytime (800 to 2200) and nighttime (2200 to 800) hours. A "dipper" was defined as a patient who showed an average reduction of at least 10 mm Hg systolic and 5 mm Hg diastolic between daytime and nighttime values. The subjects were predominantly "non-dipper" (22 of 38 patients, 58%). Daytime hypertension (>160/95 mm Hg) was present in 11 of 38 patients (4 "dippers" and 7 "non-dippers"). After nasal CPAP treatment for 3 days, the average BP decreased significantly during the day and night in all subjects (p