Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Dysfunction

There are some epidemiologic data that potentially implicate obstructive sleep apnea syndrome as a cause of left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction. The main pathophysiologic mechanisms involved are the sympathetic overactivity, the alterations in left ventricular preload and afterload, and the effects of hypoxemia. This article considers the clinical implications of this relationship and reviews the available data on the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and left ventricular dysfunction.