Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Prognostic Risk Factor beyond Traditional Players?

The high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its worrisome association with various cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease, demand our attention. This common sleep disordered breathing, characterized by partial or complete upper airway obstructions during sleep, profoundly impacts overall health., In the cardiovascular context, intermittent hypoxia, sleep fragmentation, and intrathoracic pressure swings promoted by repeated respiratory events during sleep promote several potentially deleterious phenomena, including increased sympathetic activity, blood pressure fluctuations, chronic systemic inflammation, reactive oxygen species production, [...]