Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a highly prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality, both in the United States and worldwide. In parallel with the development of new and improved therapies for established CVD such as coronary artery disease or heart failure (HF), there has been an increased focus on modification of cardiovascular risk factors for both primary and secondary prevention, reflecting an evolving understanding of CVD as a systemic process with numerous determinants.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with many different forms of CVD including hypertension, stroke, HF, coronary artery disease, and atrial fibrillation (AF). 1 Adults with OSA not only have an increased risk of developing comorbid CVD but also have worse outcomes related to CVD. OSA is highly prevalent, estimated to affect 34% of men and 17% of women in the general population2 and 40% to 60% of patients with CVD. 3, 4 Furthermore, the prevalence is increasing, with these figures representing a 30% increase over the previous 2 decades, 2 likely related to the obesity epidemic as well as an aging population.