A systematic review 1 examined the health consequences of obstructive sleep apnoae and the effectiveness of continuous positive airways pressure. 54 epidemiological studies examined the association between sleep apnoea and health related outcomes. Most were poorly designed and only weak or contradictory evidence was found of an association between sleep apnoea and cardiac arrhytmias, ischeamic heart disease, cardiac failure, systemic or pulmonary hypertension, and stroke. Evidence of a link with sleepiness and road traffic accidents was stronger but inconclusive.
In studies of continuous positive airways pressure small changes in objectively measured day-time sleepiness were consistently found.
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