Letter to Editor: Cardiovascular consequences of sleep apnea: III-Impact of continuous positive airway pressure treatment

Dear Editor, We read with great interest the review manuscript entitled “Cardiovascular consequences of sleep apnea: III-Impact of continuous positive airway pressure treatment” by Çelen et al. (1). It is well-known that sleep-disordered breathing is one of the important factors contributing to the development and/or progression of heart failure (HF) (2). This condition is related to recurring attacks of apnea, hypopnea and hyperpnea, sleep disruptions, arousals, intermittent hypoxemia, hypocapnia, and hypercapnia, and intrathoracic pressure changes. Furthermore, arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, which are independent predictors of left ventricular dysfunction, often have coexistence with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is suggested that patients with acute myocardial infarction, especially having apneas and/or hypoxemia without evident HF should be evaluated for sleep disorders.