Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis.

Abstract

To systematically analyze the studies that have examined the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on blood pressure (BP) in patients with resistant hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Design - meta-analysis of observational studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) indexed in PubMed and Ovid (All Journals@Ovid). participants: individuals with resistant hypertension and OSA; interventions - CPAP treatment.

A total of six studies met the inclusion criteria for preintervention to postintervention analyses. The pooled estimates of mean changes after CPAP treatment for the ambulatory (24-h) SBP and DBP from six studies were -7.21 mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI): -9.04 to -5.38; P < 0.001; I² 58%) and -4.99 mmHg (95% CI: -6.01 to -3.96; P < 0.001; I² 31%), respectively. The pooled estimate of the ambulatory SBP and DBP from the four RCTs showed a mean net change of -6.74 mmHg [95% CI: -9.98 to -3.49; P < 0.001; I² 61%] and -5.94 mmHg (95% CI: -9.40 to -2.47; P = 0.001; I² 76%), respectively, in favor of the CPAP group.

The pooled estimate shows a favorable reduction of BP with CPAP treatment in patients with resistant hypertension and OSA. The effects sizes are larger than those previously reported in patients with OSA without resistant hypertension.