The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Introduction. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a disease with increasing prevalence nowadays, being associated with multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as arterial hypertension. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on blood pressure values. Materials and methods. We performed a prospective interventional study on 52 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A (who received both pharmacological and CPAP treatment) and Group B (who received only pharmacological treatment), and were followed up at 3 and 6 months. The statistical analysis was made with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. At the same time, using the surrogate marker –RDW, we tried to evaluate the persistence of systemic inflammation, knowing that OSAS is associated with inflammation. Results. The systolic blood pressure values decreased at 6 months in all OSAS patients who have used CPAP, including patients with normal values of blood pressure. At the same time, the lack of OSAS treatment led to increased values of blood pressure by approximately 10 mmHg. We noticed a link between RDW, age and blood pressure values, respectively the increase of RDW and age may result in an increase in blood pressure. Conclusions. The OSAS treatment can decrease the blood pressure values. A higher RDW may be considered a negative prognostic factor for these patients, reflecting the role of systemic inflammation in the appearance of cardiovascular disorders.