Obstructive sleep apnea and non-dipper: epiphenomena or risks of Alzheimer's disease?: a review from the HOPE Asia Network

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and associated nocturnal blood pressure (BP) surges is associated with non-dipper. On the other hand, the relationship between neurodegenerative diseases and non-dipper hypertension has been reported. To date, few studies have evaluated the relationships of nocturnal BP dipping patterns and OSA in relation to neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease (AD). This review examines the etiology of the association between OSA and the non-dipper pattern of hypertension and how both are involved in the development of AD. To set the stage for this review, we first focus on the pathophysiology of AD, which is interrelated with sleep apnea and non-dipper through dysregulation of central autonomic network.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Autonomic nervous system; Insular cortex; Neurodegenerative disease; Non-dipper; Sleep apnea.