Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it's been difficult to show a causal link because OSA occurs so commonly with other risk factors, like obesity and high blood pressure. This article discusses research showing that OSA is independently associated with a marker (troponin) for heart muscle injury. The more severe the OSA, the higher the level of this marker. And the relationship held true after adjusting for 17 other variables.