Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: Effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Patients With Resistant Hypertension and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Brief Summary: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an important cause of refractory hypertension but the impact of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is not completely understood. The aim of this project is to study the effects of CPAP on blood pressure control and its influences on cardiac remodeling and arterial stiffness in patients with refractory hypertension and moderate or severe OSA.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Refractory hypertensive patients with moderate-to-severe OSA, aged between 30 to 65 years old.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Aortic, heart and valve diseases
* Renal failure
* Other identifiable causes of hypertension, no adherence, use of cocaine, amphetamines, other illicit drugs, sympathomimetics (decongestants, anorectics), oral contraceptive hormones, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Men and women ≥ 65 years old.
2. Patients diagnosed with OSA with an apnea-hypopnea index per hour \>30.
3. Patients with an Epworth Sleep Scale score ≤ 12 (without excessive daytime sleepiness).
4. Signed written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Patients with severe chronic diseases: cardiovascular or pulmonary, neurological (stroke, epilepsy, head injury...) or psychiatric.
2. Any current significant systemic illness or unstable medical condition that could lead to difficulty in complying with the protocol or may, in the opinion of the investigator, compromise the conclusions.
3. Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) \<24.
4. Any MRI exclusions - presence of aneurysm clips, pacemakers, mechanic heart valves, ear implants, metal fragments or foreign objects in the eyes, skin or body.
5. Previous CPAP treatment.
6. Psycho-physical inability to complete questionnaires. Inadequate visual and auditory acuity will be excluded.
7. Presence of any previously diagnosed sleep disorders: narcolepsy, insomnia, chronic sleep deprivation, REM behavior disorder and restless leg syndrome.
8. Patients with \> 50% of central apneas or the presence of Cheyne-Stokes Respiration.
9. History of alcohol abuse or dependence.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Epworth \<10
* Apnea-Hypopnea Index ≥20

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of any chronic disease
* Presence of cardiovascular disease
* Refusal to sign informed consent
* Drug addiction and/or alcoholism
D: Inclusion Criteria:

1. Males and females, any race, and aged between 45 and 75 years
2. Evidence of established coronary or cerebrovascular disease as evident by:

   * Coronary artery disease

     * Previous MI (equal to or greater than 90 days prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment)
     * Stable angina or unstable angina (Clinical event equal to or greater than 30 days and confirmatory test equal to or greater than 7 days prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment) defined as either ≥70% diameter stenosis of at least one major epicardial artery segment, or ≥50% diameter stenosis of the left main coronary artery, or \>50% stenosis in at least two major epicardial arteries.; or positive stress test (ST depression equal to or greater than 2 mm or a positive nuclear perfusion scintigram)
     * Multi-vessel percutaneous angioplasty (PTCA) and/or stent equal to or greater than 90 days prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment
     * Multi-vessel coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) \>1 year prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment
   * Cerebrovascular disease

     * Previous stroke (includes definite or presumed cerebral ischaemia/infarction and intracerebral but not subarachnoid haemorrhage) equal to or greater than 90 days prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment or minor disabling stroke with minimal residual neurological disability (modified Rankin Score of '0 = no symptoms' or '1 = No significant disability despite symptoms, able to carry out all usual duties and activities' within 7 days of stroke onset) ≥7 days prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment.
     * Previous transient ischaemic event (TIA) of the brain or retina (symptoms \<24 hours) but not of presumed vertebrobasilar system ischemia. The TIA diagnosis must be confirmed by a suitably qualified clinician (≥7 days but \<1year prior to ApneaLinkTM assessment)
3. Patients have moderate-severe OSA (equivalent to apnea plus hypopneas index \[AHI\] \>30 per hour of sleep) as determined by a ≥ 4% oxygen dip rate \> 12/ h on overnight testing using the ApneaLinkTM device and confirmed by the SAVE core lab in Adelaide upon receipt of the ApneaLinkTM data
4. Patients are able and willing to give appropriate informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients will be excluded from entry if ANY of the criteria listed below are met:

1. Any condition that in the opinion of the responsible physician or investigator makes the potential participant unsuitable for the study. For example,

   * co-morbid disease with severe disability or likelihood of death
   * significant memory, perceptual, or behavioural disorder
   * neurological deficit (e.g. limb paresis) preventing self administration of the CPAP mask
   * contraindication to CPAP use e.g. pneumothorax
   * residence sufficiently remote from the clinic to preclude follow-up clinic visits
2. Any planned coronary or carotid revascularisation procedure in the next 6 months
3. Severe respiratory disease defined as

   * severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (FEV1/FVC \< 70% and FEV1 \< 50% predicted), or
   * resting, awake SaO2 \< 90% by ApneaLinkTM device
4. New York Heart Association (NYHA) categories III-IV of heart failure
5. Other household member enrolled in SAVE trial or using CPAP
6. Prior use of CPAP treatment for OSA
7. Increased risk of a sleep-related accident and/or excessive daytime sleepiness, defined by any one of the following:

   * driver occupation (eg truck, taxi)
   * 'fall-asleep' accident or 'near miss' accident in previous 12 months
   * high (\> 15) score on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale
8. Severe nocturnal desaturation documented on the ApneaLinkTM device as \> 10% overnight recording time with arterial oxygen saturation of \< 80%
9. Cheyne-Stokes Respiration (CSResp)

   * CSResp identified on ApneaLinkTM nasal pressure recording by typical crescendo-decrescendo pattern of respiration with associated apneas and/or hypopneas in the absence of inspiratory flow limitation.
   * patients excluded if \> 50% of nasal pressure - defined apneas and hypopneas judged to be due to CSResp.

Answer: A