Pulmonary Hypertension & Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for pulmonary hypertension, which is present in 17 to 50% of OSA patients. Obstructive sleep apnea mediated pulmonary hypertension has downstream effects on the right ventricle and leads to right ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement) or diminished right ventricular contracility.
What is Pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is defined as an increased pressure (> 25mmHg by right heart catheterization or > 40mmHg by echocardiography) in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? 
Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by obstructive episodes with signs of disturbed sleep, such as snoring or restlessness. Sleep-disordered breathing is defined as > 5 apneic episodes in each hour. The prevelance of obstructive sleep apnea in a middle-aged population is 4-5% and its strongest risk factor is obesity: 40% of the obese are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.
Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Diagnostic protocols require patients with suspected OSA to be referred to fully equipped sleep labs which may not be available either in a convenient time range or in a nearby institure.
Meditech now offers apneABP an effective and cost-effective screening method.
Meditech apneABP combines ambulatory blood pressure, pulse oximetry and actigraphy monitoring in one easy-to-use device, so it can almost be considered as a miniature ambulatory sleep lab.