Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep, despite an ongoing effort to breathe. OSA has been demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke, atrial fibrillation, arterial hypertension, coronary artery disease, and myocardial infarction. The mechanisms that link OSA to stroke include cardiac arrhythmias, autonomic dysfunction, hypertension, hypoxia, inflammation, and dyslipidemia. Treatment of OSA can lead to primary prevention of stroke and can secondarily reduce other vascular risk factors causing stroke.
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