Sleep-related breathing disorders comprise obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), central sleep apnea (CSA), Cheyne–Stokes respiration (CSR), and central alveolar hypoventilation. OSA is significantly associated with known cardiovascular risk factors, e.g., arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and carotid atheromatosis. In addition, OSA has been shown to independently increase stroke risk. Thus,
... [Show full abstract] OSA is a direct and indirect risk factor of ischemic stroke, and early diagnosis and treatment of OSA may be crucial for stroke prevention. Acute ischemic stroke may cause any type of sleep-related breathing disorder in an affected patient. Nocturnal breathing abnormalities may be present transiently or persist for a longer period of time, affecting both neurological outcome and the risk of recurrent stroke. Sleep-disordered breathing is highly prevalent in patients with large supratentorial or bihemispheric infarctions, brainstem and cerebellar infarctions. It is associated with worse prognosis, increased disability, and higher mortality. Recently, several interventional studies showed that early implementation of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment overnight is feasible and significantly improves neurological outcome in patients with ischemic stroke even if overall mortality may not be significantly reduced.