Stroke and the obstructive Sleep Apnea patient

Stroke and OSA Sleep-disordered breathing is an increasingly recognized disorder that is particularly prevalent among stroke patients Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with multiple major stroke risk factors but is also an independent risk factor for stroke Untreated sleep apnea is associated with poor functional outcome after stroke

Stroke and OSA A better understanding of the relationship between sleep apnea and stroke may prompt providers to pursue the early diagnosis and treatment of underlying sleep-disordered breathing to both improve the chance of recovery from stroke in the short term and to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke in the long term.

Stroke and OSA If sleep apnea increases the risk of stroke, either directly or indirectly, untreated patients with comorbid OSA may have worse functional outcomes and higher mortality after acute stroke. Several observational studies suggest that OSA is a predictor of poor functional outcome after stroke, increasing the likelihood of dependency and post stroke mortality

In one study of 43 patients with acute stroke were admitted during the study period, 22 (51%) of which have been found to have moderate sleep apnea (apnea hypopnea index [AHI]≥15), AHI≥5 was found in 86% of the patients, and severe OSA (AHI≥30) in 32.5%. Patients with OSA (AHI≥15) did not differ from the rest in stroke severity or symptoms, yet they had higher prevalence of recurrent stroke and atrial fibrillation.

70% of patients that have a non-hemorrhagic stroke have OSA Treatment of OSA in the first 39 hours improve the outcomes in the first month