ABSTRACT
Approximately 50 million adult Americans have hypertension (1). Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) afflicts an estimated 15 million American adults (2). There is thus considerable likelihood that both hypertension and sleep apnea will coexist incidentally. However, there is increasing evidence that hypertension and sleep apnea occur as comorbidities to an extent beyond that which would be expected simply from the high prevalence of both these disorders. Recognition of the possible association between sleep apnea and hypertension is evident in the newly released Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (3). Sleep apnea is included as a consideration in those patients with hypertension resistant to conventional therapy.
