LAUSR

Stroke is the leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide. More than half of stroke patients have sleep disorders, including sleep breathing disorders, non-apnea sleep disturbances, and circadian rhythm disruption. Therefore, sleep disturbances, particularly obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), have long been speculated as new preventive and therapeutic targets for stroke. Whether the specific roles of the above sleep disorders in stroke outcome or the efficacy of OSA treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to prevent cerebrovascular events remains uncertain yet. It is noteworthy that there are important limitations among these studies. Here, we briefly reviewed representative studies and subsequently addressed the opportunities mainly for clinical research. The main recommendations are outlined at the end.