Obstructive sleep apnea after myocardial infarction.

摘要

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a risk factor for hypertension, myocardial ischemia and stroke, and is associated with increased mortality [1,2]. Hypoxia-induced activation of the sympathetic nervous system, inflammation and oxidative stress contribute to increase cardiovascular risk in patients with sleep disturbances [2-4]. The present study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of OSA after a recent myocardial infarction (MI) and defining its clinical predictors.All patients with recent MI (median time from symptoms onset: 32 days), admitted to our cardiac rehabilitation center between March 2007 and December 2008, were enrolled in the study. All subjects were in stable clinical conditions.