Research

Hormonal

Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is an independent risk factor for systemic arterial hypertension, with CPAP treatment effectively lowering blood pressure in hypertensive patients.

If you have sleep apnoea, treating it with CPAP is crucial for preventing high blood pressure, even if you don't feel excessively sleepy during the day. Consistent nightly use is key to lowering blood pressure and reducing long-term heart risks.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
There is strong evidence that OSAS is an independent risk factor for systemic hypertension... Prospective randomised trials have shown that OSAS treatment decreases blood pressure, especially in hypertensive subjects.
Walter T. McNicholas et al. · European Respiratory Journal · 2006

Why this rating

Supported by case-control studies, longitudinal population studies, and prospective randomised trials, though the independent role of intermittent hypoxia specifically is noted as awaiting confirmation in humans.

Source

Sleep apnoea as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease: current evidence, basic mechanisms and research priorities: Fig. 1—

Walter T. McNicholas et al. · European Respiratory Journal · 2006

DOI 10.1183/09031936.00027406

narrative_reviewCited 904×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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