[Sleep apnea syndrome--hypertension--cardiac failure].

Especially middle-aged persons frequently suffer from sleep-related breathing disorders. In particular, in sleep apnea syndrome various interactions are known concerning the development or deterioration of hypertension. Cardiac failure may as well be a consequence of a sleep apnea syndrome. It may negatively influence sleep apnea. The causes of cardiovascular secondary and concomitant diseases are blood gas alterations, intrathoracic fluctuations in pressure and consecutive arousal reactions, which again cause various secondary and concomitant disorders. The various and partly incompletely discovered relationships between sleep apnea syndrome on the one hand and hypertension and cardiac failure on the other hand offer the possibility of causal treatment for these disorders.