The cardiologic masks of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Background. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and respiratory disorders during sleep occur in every tenth patient. Moreover, sleep disorders are found in every second patient with cardiovascular diseases. In practice, however, it is diagnosed only in 10–20 % patients with OSAS. This is due to the lack of specific symptoms; and, moreover, frequently OSAS has the guise of cardiovascular disease, hence it can remain misdiagnosed for a
prolonged period of time.

Objective. This work, based on case reports, demonstrates how OSAS may influence cardiovascular diseases.

Case reports. This paper presents several clinical cases of OSAS masked by the following cardiovascular conditions: hypertension, chronic heart failure, cardiac arrhythmias and coronary heart disease.

Conclusions. Practicing physicians should be aware of the possibility of OSAS and should ask the patient in detail in order to verify the diagnosis. Timely treatment of moderate and severe OSAS, in addition to traditional treatment, can improve the outcomes in these patients. There are different treatment approaches in obstructive sleep apnea, such as CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, surgical methods (uvuloplasty, septoplasty), didgeridoo playing, injections of botulinum toxin in palatine arch, implantation of electrodes in the chest area and the upper respiratory tract and other. CPAP is currently the most effective way of OSAS managment, however, its impacy on cardiovascular outcomes is still unclear and requires further research.

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