Cardiologists have debated for some time whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a proven factor in a patient’s risk for heart disease, but the U.S. National Institutes of Health says newly published studies identify the specific mechanisms for this association. The studies offered data from more than 4,500 subjects and affirms the notion that OSA-driven hypoxia correlates well with the occurrence of a primary cardiovascular event, but the NIH says these findings need to be confirmed in another trial, hopefully one with enrollees whose OSA is deemed a high-risk version of the condition.