Medical disorders impacted by obstructive sleep apnea.

Normal-sleeping individuals experience a lower metabolic rate and relative cardiovascular quiescent state with lower heart rate and blood pressure that naturally occurs during sleep compared with the waking state. In patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), this quiescent state becomes disrupted. Research has shown a higher risk for several medical disorders, most ominous being a myocardial infarction or stroke. This article serves as an overview to the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, metabolic, and gastroesophageal effects of OSA.