Does sleep apnea raise blood pressure?
I would think the answer is yes, but my MD wants to raise my BP meds. I have moderate sleep apnea, and just started a treatment program.
Tagged with: bp • meds • sleep • sleep apnea
Filed under: blood pressure treatment
One way that apnea may directly affect blood pressure, regardless of other risk factors:
Blood pressure fluctuates widely and suddenly in response to episodes of apnea and hypopnea (shallow nighttime breathing).
Such fluctuations are possibly due to a sudden surge in the sympathetic nervous system, which controls involuntary muscle responses, importantly those in the blood vessels and heart, and may also play a role in sleep apnea.
These fluctuations lead to transient constriction of blood vessels that, over time, could possibly lead to sustained hypertension and heart damage.
Effective treatment of sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce blood pressure. Sleep apneas must be significantly reduced, however, to have any effect on blood pressure. Even a 50% reduction in apneas has no effect.