Hypertension research : official journal of the Japanese Society of Hypertension
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Effective treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) lowers blood pressure (BP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It was reported that OSA might influence BP in middle-aged but not in elderly patients. However, effects of nCPAP treatment in elderly hypertensive OSA patients are not well known. ⋯ There were no significant changes in systolic BP, BMI or usage time of nCPAP. With a daily average of 3 h or more of nCPAP treatment, diastolic BP decreased significantly in subject groups ≥ 60 and <60 years of age. Even in the elderly, a daily average use of nCPAP for 3 h would lower diastolic BP in OSA patients.