Role of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Stroke Appearance

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in industrialized countries and the first cause of handicap in adults. Several stroke risk factors were identified such as high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia or cardiac arrhythmias. Sleep respiratory disorders have been found to be frequent among patients with stroke. Among them obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome seems to be the most important due to its association with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation. Stroke can be responsible of central apneas, therefore the differential diagnosis between central apneas and pure OSA after stroke is sometimes difficult. The misidentification of OSA can explain the poor tolerance of CPAP treatment by these patients. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the association between pre-stroke OSA syndrome OSA diagnosed on specific scales and confirmed by polygraphic studies and stroke occurrence.