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Original Article
Volume 342:1378-1384 May 11, 2000 Number 19
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Prospective Study of the Association between Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Hypertension
Paul E. Peppard, Ph.D., Terry Young, Ph.D., Mari Palta, Ph.D., and James Skatrud, M.D.

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ABSTRACT

Background Sleep-disordered breathing is prevalent in the general population and has been linked to chronically elevated blood pressure in cross-sectional epidemiologic studies. We performed a prospective, population-based study of the association between objectively measured sleep-disordered breathing and hypertension (defined as a laboratory-measured blood pressure of at least 140/90 mm Hg or the use of antihypertensive medications).

Methods We analyzed data on sleep-disordered breathing, blood pressure, habitus, and health history at base line and after four years of follow-up in 709 participants of the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study (and after eight years of follow-up in the case of 184 of these participants). Participants were assessed overnight by 18-channel polysomnography for sleep-disordered breathing, as defined by the apnea–hypopnea index (the number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea per hour of sleep). The odds ratios for the presence of hypertension at the four-year follow-up study according to the apnea–hypopnea index at base line were estimated after adjustment for base-line hypertension status, body-mass index, neck and waist circumference, age, sex, and weekly use of alcohol and cigarettes.

Results Relative to the reference category of an apnea–hypopnea index of 0 events per hour at base line, the odds ratios for the presence of hypertension at follow-up were 1.42 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.13 to 1.78) with an apnea–hypopnea index of 0.1 to 4.9 events per hour at base line as compared with none, 2.03 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.29 to 3.17) with an apnea–hypopnea index of 5.0 to 14.9 events per hour, and 2.89 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.46 to 5.64) with an apnea–hypopnea index of 15.0 or more events per hour.

Conclusions We found a dose–response association between sleep-disordered breathing at base line and the presence of hypertension four years later that was independent of known confounding factors. The findings suggest that sleep-disordered breathing is likely to be a risk factor for hypertension and consequent cardiovascular morbidity in the general population.


Source Information

From the Departments of Preventive Medicine (P.E.P., T.Y., M.P.), Medicine (J.S.), and Biostatistics and Medical Informatics (M.P.), University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Peppard at the Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Wisconsin, 502 N. Walnut St., Madison, WI 53705, or at ppeppard{at}facstaff.wisc.edu.

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Related Letters:

Sleep-Disordered Breathing and Hypertension
Pankow W., Lies A., Lohmann F. W., Thomas R. J., Brouwers F. M., Lenders J. W.M., Peppard P. E., Young T.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 2000; 343:966-967, Sep 28, 2000. Correspondence

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