Sleep Apnea

Part I. Influence of Sleep and Respiration on the Cardiovascular System. 1. Circadian variations in clock genes: implications for cardiovascular disease. 2. Lower brainstem mechanisms of cardiorespiratory integration. 3. Mechanical interactions between the respiratory and circulatory systems. 4. Alterations in respiratory and cardiac activity during sleep onset. 5. Physiological effects of sleep on the cardiovascular system. 6. Metabolic effects of normal and disturbed sleep. 7. Oxidative stress, inflammation, and vascular function in sleep apnea. 8. Obesity, leptin and sleep apnea. Part II: Sleep Apnea and Hypertension. 9. Influence of sleep apnea on heart rate and blood pressure regulation: implications for hypertension and impaired heart rate variability. 10. Epidemiological evidence for an association between sleep apnea, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. 11. Treatment of hypertension in sleep apnea. Part III: Sleep Apnea, Ischemic Heart Disease, and Cerebrovascular Disease.12. Cardiac arrhythmias and sleep apnea. 13. Sleep apnea and atherosclerosis. 14. Sleep apnea and cerebrovascular disease. 15. Circadian variation in the incidence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ischemic events. Part IV: Sleep Apnea and Congestive Heart Failure. 16. Theoretical models of periodic breathing. 17. Pathophysiological interactions between sleep apnea and congestive heart failure. 18. Prevalence and prognostic significance of obstructive and central sleep apnea in heart failure. 19. Treatment of obstructive and central sleep apnea in patients with heart failure.