ABSTRACT
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent and associated with oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and adverse cardiovascular consequences. The comorbid condition of obesity remains epidemic. Both obesity and OSA are highly comorbid in patients with cardiovascular disease including atrial fibrillation, resistant hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Patients with these preexisting cardiovascular conditions should be screened for OSA with a low threshold to treat, even if OSA severity is mild. Nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV/CCN3) protein has been identified in multiple chronic inflammatory states, most notably in obesity and more recently in OSA, even in the absence of obesity. As such, NOV may represent an important biomarker for oxidative stress in OSA and may lead to a deeper understanding of the relationship between OSA and its clinical sequelae.
