Sleep apnea syndrome: Short-term solutions and long-term cerebrovascular risk

Introduction and development. During sleep, control of breathing shifts from being a semi-voluntary action to become a self-regulation activity of the highest biological priority. The most frequent breathing disorders during sleep are related to obstructive apnea syndrome, generally associated to snoring. The prevalence of sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea) in the general population has been estimated to be between 2% in females and 4% in males. Sleep apnea raises arterial pressure, increases the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, causes excessive sleepiness and diminishes the quality of life of patients affected by it. Conclusions. Polysomnography allows sleep apnea to be diagnosed so that treatment can then be started using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, which is the most effective and widespread form of treatment. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that sustained treatment of sleep apnea lowers the risk of vascular complications, as well as improving the quality of life and reducing daytime sleepiness.