Development of a Triggered Nocturnal Blood Pressure Monitoring which Detects Nighttime Blood Pressure Surges in Sleep Apnea Syndrome.

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) places an enormous pressure load on the cardiovascular system by inducing a temporary blood pressure (BP) surge during apnea episodes. This pressure load is regarded as a potential mechanism of development of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke. Therefore, accurate measurement of such BP surges would be valuable for the risk stratification of OSA patients. Recently we developed a new triggered nocturnal BP monitoring system (TNP) based on oxygen desaturation and have achieved success to detect BP surges with OSA. TNP would be a promising tool for assessment of cardiovascular risks in sleep apnea syndrome.