Pulmonary hypertension was common in studied sleep apnea populations
A review estimated prevalence among people with obstructive sleep apnea, finding substantial variation and no consistent relationship with apnea severity.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Pulmonary hypertension appeared relatively common among the sleep apnea populations studied. Patients who also had pulmonary hypertension showed higher body mass index and worse markers of disrupted breathing and oxygen levels. Yet the analysis did not find a consistent severity-related pattern in prevalence. These associations do not establish that sleep apnea caused pulmonary hypertension.
This abstract-based summary reports highly variable prevalence estimates across studies. Diagnostic thresholds and methods also differed, so the pooled figure should not be treated as every sleep apnea patient’s personal probability.
What researchers found
Pooled prevalence of pulmonary hypertension
Obstructive sleep apnea defined by apnea–hypopnea index ≥5; no external comparator for prevalence. Assessment timeframe: Not reported in the abstract.
Prevalence depends on definitions
The authors examined different apnea thresholds and methods for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension. Some sensitivity analyses yielded similar prevalence estimates, while overall variation between studies remained substantial.
Severity gave a mixed picture
Severe sleep apnea did not show significantly higher pulmonary hypertension prevalence than mild-to-moderate apnea. Differences in average breathing and oxygen-related markers therefore did not establish a consistent severity-based prevalence pattern.
The original publication
Prevalence and characteristics of pulmonary hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Samieirad S, Amini M, Raji H et al.
Sleep Breath · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41296161
- Record checked
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