Total Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disorder of middle-aged adults, affecting 4% of men and 2% of women [1]. The incidence of cardiovascular mortalities and morbidities such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, and stroke is higher in patients with OSA than in the general population [2]. OSA is characterized by recurrent upper airway obstruction. Patients with OSA experience intermittent hypoxia, leading to hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and increased sympathetic activation. Several studies have reported increased oxidative stress in patients with OSA [3-5]. Changes in blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep in OSA may result in the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in favor of higher oxidants, depending on recurrent hypoxic events [6]. Increased generation of reactive oxygen species in vivo can lead to the depletion of one or more antioxidants, and the loss can be measured as an index of oxidative stress [7]. However, there are Total Oxidant and Antioxidant Status in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the Effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure