Sleep is a condition of physiological relaxation for the cardiovascular system, and sleep-disordered breathing disturbs it. Recurrent episodes of sleep apnea disrupt the physiological interactions between sleep and the cardiovascular system. Sleep apnea can affect not only patients quality of life with cardiovascular diseases, but also their morbidity and mortality. Thus sleep apnea becomes a significant, influential risk factor in cardiology.
Keywords: cardiovascular disease; sleep apnea; sleep-disordered breathing.