P196 UNVEILING THE LINK BETWEEN ISOLATED NOCTURNAL ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Abstract

Background and Objective: Isolated nocturnal hypertension (INH), characterized by elevated nighttime blood pressure alongside normal daytime readings, often correlates with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, understanding this association remains limited. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between OSA and INH, facilitating early interventions and optimizing patient outcomes. Methods: A convenience sample of patients diagnosed with INH via ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), regardless of prior hypertension diagnosis, was included. Polysomnography assessed the presence of OSA. Patient demographics were analyzed, and OSA patterns within this cohort were described. Results: Forty-three participants with an average age of 60.6±13.54 were enrolled, comprising 30 individuals with hypertension and 13 without hypertension, with 24 males and 19 females included in the analysis. Polysomnography findings revealed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in 97.64% of participants (n=42) across all severity levels. Specifically, severe OSA was observed in 10 subjects, moderate in 20, and mild in 12. Interestingly, the distribution of OSA severity was similar between hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects. Conclusions: This study found a close correlation between nocturnal arterial hypertension and the presence of obstructive sleep apnea in both hypertensive and non-hypertensive subjects. Therefore, INH is a strong predictor of OSA, and it could be better than other predictive tests.