Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Mortality

Prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has risen as a consequence of the obesity epidemic; OSA now affects 2% to 3% of middle-aged women and even larger numbers of men. The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment have been well established for men with OSA (JW Gen Med Apr 22 2005), but less so among women.

In a prospective cohort study of 1116 women who were referred to two Spanish sleep centers, investigators showed that untreated OSA was associated with significantly elevated rates of cardiovascular (CV) mortality during a median follow-up of 72 months. In models adjusted for age, body-mass index, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and previous CV events, women with untreated severe OSA were more than three time…