Sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and stroke

Abstract

For many years attention has been drawn to the frequent association between sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome and stroke. Numerous and very different epidemiological studies are available that point to a possible causal relation. In a parallel way, there has been an increase over these years in the knowledge of the different intermediate physiopathological mechanisms by which apnea could theoretically favour the appearance of cerebral ischemia. An increase in arterial pressure, the appearance of arrhythmias, hemodynamic changes in cerebral circulation and a prothrombotic state are outstanding amongst these. Likewise, it was also proved that treatment with CPAP was beneficial for normalising some of these alterations. Nonetheless, it is only recently that, thanks to the appearance of different prospective studies, it has been irrefutably proved that SAHS is a risk factor that increases the possibility of suffering an stroke, independently of the presence of other classical risk factors. While awaiting new intervention studies that confirm whether treatment with CPAP reduces this risk, it is important to include in the anamnesis of patients who have suffered an stroke or a transitory ischemic accident the search for data that would lead us to think of SAHS and to send these patients for evaluation by the respiratory unit when necessary.