Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), one of the leading causes
of hypertension, is a risk for advancing atherosclerosis and for
triggering cardiovascular events, particularly those occurring during
the sleep period. In the recently published guidelines for the management
of hypertension, more strict blood pressure (BP) control during
a 24-h period is particularly stressed for high-risk hypertensive
patients.1,2 Hypertensive patients with OSAS constitute one of the
high-risk groups that receive more benefit from strict BP control.
Thus, understanding the characteristics of OSAS-related hypertension
is essentially important to achieve perfect BP control over a 24-h
period, including the sleep period, for more effective prevention of
cardiovascular disease.