Obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities: a dangerous liaison

Perioperative adverse events in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea undergoing ambulatory surgery: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The suitability of ambulatory surgery for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the odds of perioperative adverse events in patients with OSA undergoing ambulatory surgery, compared to patients without OSA.

METHODS

Four electronic databases were searched for studies published between January 1, 2011 and July 11, 2023. The inclusion criteria were: adult patients with diagnosed or high-risk of OSA undergoing ambulatory surgery; perioperative adverse events; control group included; general and/or regional anesthesia; and publication on/after February 1, 2011. We calculated effect sizes as odds ratios using a random effects model, and additional sensitivity analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies (375,389 patients) were included. OSA was associated with an increased odds of same-day admission amongst all surgery types (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.46-2.59, I2:79%, P < 0.00001, 11 studies, n = 347,342), as well as when only orthopedic surgery was considered (OR 2.68, 95% CI 2.05-3.48, I2:41%, P < 0.00001, 6 studies, n = 132,473). Three studies reported that OSA was strongly associated with prolonged post anesthesia care unit (PACU) length of stay (LOS), while one study reported that the association was not statistically significant. In addition, four studies reported that OSA was associated with postoperative respiratory depression/hypoxia, with one large study on shoulder arthroscopy reporting an almost 5-fold increased odds of pulmonary compromise, 5-fold of myocardial infarction, 3-fold of acute renal failure, and 5-fold of intensive care unit (ICU) admission.

CONCLUSIONS

Ambulatory surgical patients with OSA had almost two-fold higher odds of same-day admission compared to non-OSA patients. Multiple large studies also reported an association of OSA with prolonged PACU LOS, respiratory complications, and/or ICU admission. Clinicians should screen preoperatively for OSA, optimize comorbidities, adhere to clinical algorithm-based management perioperatively, and maintain a high degree of vigilance in the postoperative period.

Association between the Risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Lung Function: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder associated with various health issues. Although some studies have suggested an association between reduced lung function and OSA, this association remains unclear. Our study aimed to explore this relationship using data from a nationally representative population- based survey.

METHODS

We performed an analysis of data from the 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Our study encompassed 3,675 participants aged 40 years and older. Risk of OSA was assessed using the STOP-Bang (Snoring, Tiredness during daytime, Observed apnea, and high blood Pressure-Body mass index, Age, Neck circumference, Gender) questionnaire and lung function tests were performed using a portable spirometer. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors associated with a high-risk of OSA, defined as a STOP-Bang score of ≥3.

RESULTS

Of 3,675 participants, 600 (16.3%) were classified into high-risk OSA group. Participants in the high-risk OSA group were older, had a higher body mass index, and a higher proportion of males and ever-smokers. They also reported lower lung function and quality of life index in various domains along with increased respiratory symptoms. Univariate logistic regression analysis indicated a significant association between impaired lung function and a high-risk of OSA. However, in the multivariable analysis, only chronic cough (odds ratio [OR], 2.413; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.383 to 4.213) and sputum production (OR, 1.868; 95% CI, 1.166 to 2.992) remained significantly associated with a high OSA risk.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that, rather than baseline lung function, chronic cough, and sputum production are more significantly associated with OSA risk.

Effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure therapy on romantic relationships and intimacy among individuals with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and a meta-analysis

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common yet often overlooked chronic sleep disorder with significant health implications globally. Bedpartners play a vital role in motivating individuals with obstructive sleep apnea to seek medical help, though their sleep quality may suffer, straining the couple's relationship. From September 2023 to January 2024, utilizing PubMed, Scopus, BioMed Central, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect and www.clinicaltrials.gov databases, this systematic review meticulously examined data from 27 studies to investigate how continuous positive airway pressure therapy, recognized as the gold-standard for treating obstructive sleep apnea, may positively influence psychological dynamics within couples. Additionally, a meta-analysis was conducted on nine studies, to assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure on erectile function, which is often compromised in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The PRISMA checklist and specific quality assessments were followed to ensure methodological rigour and transparency. Findings reveal positive changes in conflict resolution for patients with obstructive sleep apnea post- continuous positive airway pressure adaptation (p < 0.05). Emotional functioning (p = 0.002) and social relationships (p < 0.001) also show improvements in bedpartners. While six subjective assessments indicate enhancements in sexual quality of life for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, challenges related to continuous positive airway pressure use as a barrier to intimacy are acknowledged. Focusing on male patients with obstructive sleep apnea, findings demonstrated a substantial improvement in erectile function post-continuous positive airway pressure utilization, with a Z-score of 4.84 (p < 0.00001). Female patients with obstructive sleep apnea using continuous positive airway pressure show no significant improvements in sexual functioning, while female bedpartners report positive changes. These insights emphasize the importance of holistic approaches in addressing the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on both individuals and their relationships.

Disparities in polysomnography referral in a high-risk cardiac population

PURPOSE

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with metabolic, cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular comorbidities. Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of OSA might mitigate these comorbidities. This retrospective review sought to assess the impact of sex, age, race, ethnicity, and insurance status on polysomnography (PSG) referral rates.

METHODS

An institutional STOP-Bang database of 299,320 patients was filtered for patients admitted to the hospital with an acute cardiac diagnosis between 2015-2020. A cohort of 4,735 patients were risk stratified by STOP-Bang (SB) score and correlations were made between PSG referrals and demographic and clinical variables (sex, age, race, ethnicity, and insurance status).

RESULTS

Of the 25.3% of the cohort with high SB scores (5-8) only 21.3% were referred for PSG. Age and female sex were negatively associated with sleep study referrals (p < 0.001). No correlation was found between sleep study referral rates and race or ethnicity. No correlation was found between sleep study referrals and insurance provider. Admitting cardiac diagnosis significantly influenced sleep study referrals with diagnoses of arrhythmias and myocardial infarction being associated with an increased rate of PSG referrals compared to heart failure patients (p < 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study found no significant correlation between PSG referral rates and race, ethnicity, or insurance provider. However, we found low overall rates of PSG referral, with negative correlations between older age and female sex and a high-risk cardiac population. This represents a substantial missed opportunity to identify patients at risk for OSA, obtain a diagnosis, and provider adequate treatment.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Acute Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: A Narrative Literature Review

Both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and acute lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are important global health issues. The pathophysiological links between OSA and LRTIs include altered immune responses due to chronic intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, increased aspiration risk, and a high burden of comorbidities. In this narrative review, we evaluated the current evidence on the association between OSA and the incidence and outcomes of acute LRTIs in adults, specifically community-acquired pneumonia and viral pneumonia caused by influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Studies have demonstrated that OSA patients are more likely to develop bacterial pneumonia and exhibit a higher risk of invasive pneumococcal disease. The risk intensifies with the severity of OSA, influencing hospitalization rates and the need for intensive care. OSA is also associated with an increased risk of contracting influenza and suffering more severe disease, potentially necessitating hospitalization. Similarly, OSA contributes to increased COVID-19 disease severity, reflected by higher rates of hospitalization, longer hospital stays, and a higher incidence of acute respiratory failure. The effect of OSA on mortality rates from these infections is, however, somewhat ambiguous. Finally, we explored antibiotic therapy for OSA patients with LRTIs, addressing care settings, empirical regimens, risks, and pharmacokinetic considerations. Given the substantial burden of OSA and its significant interplay with acute LRTIs, enhanced screening, targeted vaccinations, and optimized management strategies for OSA patients should be prioritized.

Beat-to-beat cardiac repolarization lability increases during hypoxemia and arousals in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with the progression of cardiovascular diseases, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the acute impacts of OSA and its consequences on heart function are not yet fully elucidated. We hypothesized that desaturation events acutely destabilize ventricular repolarization, and the presence of accompanying arousals magnifies this destabilization. Ventricular repolarization lability measures, comprising heart rate corrected QT (QTc), short-time-variability of QT (STVQT), and QT variability index (QTVI), were calculated before, during, and after 20,955 desaturations from lead II electrocardiography signals of 492 patients with suspected OSA (52% men). Variations in repolarization parameters were assessed during and after desaturations, both with and without accompanying arousals, and groupwise comparisons were performed based on desaturation duration and depth. Regression analyses were used to investigate the influence of confounding factors, comorbidities, and medications. The standard deviation (SD) of QT, mean QTc, SDQTc, and STVQT increased significantly (P < 0.01), whereas QTVI decreased (P < 0.01) during and after desaturations. The changes in SDQT, mean QTc, SDQTc, and QTVI were significantly amplified (P < 0.01) in the presence of accompanying arousals. Desaturation depth was an independent predictor of increased SDQTc (β = 0.405, P < 0.01), STVQT (β = 0.151, P < 0.01), and QTVI (β = 0.009, P < 0.01) during desaturation. Desaturations cause acute changes in ventricular repolarization, with deeper desaturations and accompanying arousals independently contributing to increased ventricular repolarization lability. This may partially explain the increased risk of arrhythmias and SCD in patients with OSA, especially when the OSA phenotype includes high hypoxic load and fragmented sleep.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Nocturnal desaturations are associated with increased ventricular repolarization lability. Deeper desaturations with accompanying arousals increase the magnitude of alterations, independent of confounding factors, comorbidities, and medications. Changes associated with desaturations can partially explain the increased risk of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death in patients with OSA, especially in patients with high hypoxic load and fragmented sleep. This highlights the importance of detailed electrocardiogram analytics for patients with OSA.

The effect of pharyngeal structures on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by complete or partial cessation of breathing during sleep. The tongue is suggested as a possible anatomical site causing airway obstruction. However, the role of other pharyngeal structures in the development of OSA remains unclear. We designed a study using both the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the oxygen saturation measurements to assess the severity of OSA. We aimed to identify critical anatomical structures of the upper airway that correlate with the severity of OSA and to evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) markers to detect possible OSA in patients without overt symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included participants referred to the neurology outpatient clinic from the check-up unit. Participants were grouped as controls, mild, moderate, or severe OSA according to the AHI. A cranial MRI with a field of view (FOV) encompassing the upper airway structures was obtained from all participants. The areas of the tongue and the uvula were measured on the sagittal images by drawing the boundaries of the tissues manually. The posterior air space (PAS) area was evaluated from regions of interest in five parallel planes.

RESULTS

Of 105 participants, 30 were controls, 27 had mild, 25 had moderate, and 23 had severe OSA. The moderate and severe OSA groups did not differ in oxygen saturation levels during sleep. Therefore, patients with moderate and severe OSA were combined into one group (moderate/severe OSA). The area of the tongue was significantly larger in the moderate/severe OSA group compared to the control group. Both the tongue and the uvula areas showed a significant positive correlation with the AHI.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the tongue and uvula have prominent roles in the severity of OSAS. It may be useful to measure these structures with MRI to screen for at-risk individuals without overt OSA symptoms.

Comparing efficacy of the mandibular advancement device after drug-induced sleep endoscopy and continuous positive airway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare objective and self-reported outcomes of two treatments for managing mild, moderate, and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults: a mandibular advancement device (MAD) and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).

METHODS

Patients diagnosed with OSA by means of polysomnography (PSG) included one group treated with a custom-made, two-piece, adjustable MAD and a second group treated with CPAP for 8 weeks. Before the initiation of the treatment, all patients assigned to MAD underwent drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), and all CPAP group patients underwent manual titration of CPAP after PSG. Objective (PSG) and self-reported (Epworth Sleepiness Scale [ESS] and Short Form Health Survey [SF-36]) data were used to assess outcomes. Collected data included apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), mean capillary oxygen saturation (SpO2), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), arousal index (AI), degree of daytime sleepiness, and quality of life. A PSG follow-up after 8 weeks with MAD in situ, and data from the CPAP data card were used to assess the effect of the two treatments.

RESULTS

A total of 59 patients included 30 treated with MAD and 29 treated with CPAP. Between baseline and the 8-week follow-up, the mean AHI score decreased significantly from 35.1 to 6.8 episodes/h (p < 0.001) in patients treated with MAD and from 35.2 to 3.0 episodes/h (p < 0.001) in patients treated with CPAP. The mean AHI score at the 8-week follow-up was significantly lower in CPAP group than in MAD group (p = 0.003). The two groups did not differ significantly at follow-up regarding SpO2 (p = 0.571), ODI (p = 0.273), AI (p = 0.100), ESS score (p = 0.648), and SF-36 score (p = 0.237).

CONCLUSION

In the short term, patients on CPAP attained better PSG outcomes in terms of AHI reduction. Both MAD after DISE evaluation and CPAP resulted in similar improvements in clinical symptoms and health-related quality of life, even in patients with severe OSA.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia reveals role of the Postinspiratory Complex in the mediation of normal swallow production

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep-related breathing disorder that results in multiple bouts of intermittent hypoxia. OSA has many neurological and systemic comorbidities, including dysphagia, or disordered swallow, and discoordination with breathing. However, the mechanism in which chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) causes dysphagia is unknown. Recently, we showed the postinspiratory complex (PiCo) acts as an interface between the swallow pattern generator (SPG) and the inspiratory rhythm generator, the preBötzinger complex, to regulate proper swallow-breathing coordination (Huff et al., 2023). PiCo is characterized by interneurons co-expressing transporters for glutamate (Vglut2) and acetylcholine (ChAT). Here we show that optogenetic stimulation of ChATcre:Ai32, Vglut2cre:Ai32, and ChATcre:Vglut2FlpO:ChR2 mice exposed to CIH does not alter swallow-breathing coordination, but unexpectedly disrupts swallow behavior via triggering variable swallow motor patterns. This suggests that glutamatergic-cholinergic neurons in PiCo are not only critical for the regulation of swallow-breathing coordination, but also play an important role in the modulation of swallow motor patterning. Our study also suggests that swallow disruption, as seen in OSA, involves central nervous mechanisms interfering with swallow motor patterning and laryngeal activation. These findings are crucial for understanding the mechanisms underlying dysphagia, both in OSA and other breathing and neurological disorders.

Excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with relative delta frequency power among patients with mild OSA

Background

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a cause of low quality of life among obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients. Current methods of assessing and predicting EDS are limited due to time constraints or differences in subjective experience and scoring. Electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectral densities (PSDs) have shown differences between OSA and non-OSA patients, and fatigued and non-fatigued patients. Therefore, polysomnographic EEG PSDs may be useful to assess the extent of EDS among patients with OSA.

Methods

Patients presenting to Israel Loewenstein hospital reporting daytime sleepiness who recorded mild OSA on polysomnography and undertook a multiple sleep latency test. Alpha, beta, and delta relative powers were assessed between patients categorized as non-sleepy (mean sleep latency (MSL) ≥10 min) and sleepy (MSL <10 min).

Results

139 patients (74% male) were included for analysis. 73 (53%) were categorized as sleepy (median MSL 6.5 min). There were no significant differences in demographics or polysomnographic parameters between sleepy and non-sleepy groups. In multivariate analysis, increasing relative delta frequency power was associated with increased odds of sleepiness (OR 1.025 (95% CI 1.024-1.026)), while relative alpha and beta powers were associated with decreased odds. The effect size of delta PSD on sleepiness was significantly greater than that of either alpha or beta frequencies.

Conclusion

Delta PSD during polysomnography is significantly associated with a greater degree of objective daytime sleepiness among patients with mild OSA. Further research is needed to corroborate our findings and identify the direction of potential causal correlation between delta PSD and EDS.

A pilot observation using ultrasonography and vowel articulation to investigate the influence of suspected obstructive sleep apnea on upper airway

Failure to employ suitable measures before administering full anesthesia to patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are undergoing surgery may lead to developing complications after surgery. Therefore, it is very important to screen OSA before performing a surgery, which is currently done by subjective questionnaires such as STOP-Bang, Berlin scores. These questionnaires have 10-36% specificity in detecting sleep apnea, along with no information given on anatomy of upper airway, which is important for intubation. To address these challenges, we performed a pilot study to understand the utility of ultrasonography and vowel articulation in screening OSA. Our objective was to investigate the influence of OSA risk factors in vowel articulation through ultrasonography and acoustic features analysis. To accomplish this, we recruited 18 individuals with no risk of OSA and 13 individuals with high risk of OSA and asked them to utter vowels, such as /a/ (as in "Sah"), /e/ (as in "See"). An expert ultra-sonographer measured the parasagittal anterior-posterior (PAP) and transverse diameter of the upper airway. From the recorded vowel sounds, we extracted 106 features, including power, pitch, formant, and Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCC). We analyzed the variation of the PAP diameters and vowel features from "See: /i/" to "Sah /a/" between control and OSA groups by two-way repeated measures ANOVA. We found that, there was a variation of upper airway diameter from "See" to "Sah" was significantly smaller in OSA group than control group (OSA: ∆12.8 ± 5.3 mm vs. control: ∆22.5 ± 3.9 mm OSA, p < 0.01). Moreover, we found several vowel features showed the exact same or opposite trend as PAP diameter variation, which led us to build a machine learning model to estimate PAP diameter from vowel features. We found a correlation coefficient of 0.75 between the estimated and measured PAP diameter after applying four estimation models and combining their output with a random forest model, which showed the feasibility of using acoustic features of vowel sounds to monitor upper airway diameter. Overall, this study has proven the concept that ultrasonography and vowel sounds analysis may be useful as an easily accessible imaging tool of upper airway.

Polysomnographic findings in the ultra-rare McLeod syndrome: further documentation of sleep apnea as a possible feature

STUDY OBJECTIVES

McLeod syndrome is a very rare multisystemic neurodegenerative disease linked to mutations in the XK gene. It has cardiac, neurologic, and neuromuscular manifestations and shares similarities with Huntington's disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep patterns of patients affected by McLeod syndrome.

METHODS

This retrospective case series of four males who underwent diagnostic polysomnography (mean age 53.8 ± 2.5 years) includes self-reported and objective evaluation of sleep using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, genetic tests, documentation of clinical course and features, and laboratory-based full-night attended video-polysomnography.

RESULTS

In three out of four patients, an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score ≥ 7 was evident. The average apnea-hypopnea index was 45.0 ± 19.0, with predominantly obstructive phenotype in three patients and predominant central events (central sleep apnea syndrome) in one patient. A significantly increased periodic limb movement index during sleep was observed in all patients. All patients tolerated continuous positive airway pressure or pressure controlled therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Polysomnography of all patients confirmed sleep apnea syndrome as a feature of McLeod syndrome. Three patients were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and one with central sleep apnea syndrome. In addition, periodic limb movement index was increased in all patients.

CITATION

Dieter M, Kevin P, Tobias V, et al. Polysomnographic findings in the ultra-rare McLeod syndrome: further documentation of sleep apnea as a possible feature. J Clin Sleep Med. 2024;20(3):339-344.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Obstructive Sleep Apnea among Jordanian Otolaryngologists: A Cross-Sectional Study

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder that affects almost one billion individuals worldwide. An estimated 16.8% of adults in Jordan have been diagnosed with OSA. Given the importance of management of OSA by otolaryngologists, we assessed the knowledge and attitudes of Jordanian otolaryngologists in managing OSA in adult and pediatric patients. A survey, conducted anonymously online, was sent present otolaryngology residents and specialist in Jordan, in the English language. The participants were given the OSA Knowledge and Attitude questionnaire (OSAKA, OSAKA-KIDS), which have been previously validated. Data were obtained and then analyzed via SPSS software. A total of 140 residents and specialist of otolaryngology were selected. A significant difference in OSAKA scores were found between otolaryngologists under 30 years of age and those above, with higher scores for the older age group. The proportion of specialists who 'agreed' or 'strongly agreed' they are confident in their ability to manage patients with OSA was significantly higher that junior residents (73.8% vs 33.3%; p = 0.008). More than 10 years at practice was associated with statistically significant higher levels of knowledge towards OSAKA scale (AOR = 0.09; p = 0.044). Additionally, being a senior resident was significantly associated with more knowledge towards OSAKA-KIDS scale (AOR = 0.19; p = 0.03). Otolaryngology residents and specialists' knowledge of OSA was very good. Further improving in the level of the knowledge toward OSA among the otolaryngology resident doctors should be implemented as possible by following the updated guidelines for the diagnosis and management OSA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12070-023-04180-8.

Review and perspective on sleep-disordered breathing research and translation to clinics

Sleep-disordered breathing, ranging from habitual snoring to severe obstructive sleep apnea, is a prevalent public health issue. Despite rising interest in sleep and awareness of sleep disorders, sleep research and diagnostic practices still rely on outdated metrics and laborious methods reducing the diagnostic capacity and preventing timely diagnosis and treatment. Consequently, a significant portion of individuals affected by sleep-disordered breathing remain undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed. Taking advantage of state-of-the-art scientific, technological, and computational advances could be an effective way to optimize the diagnostic and treatment pathways. We discuss state-of-the-art multidisciplinary research, review the shortcomings in the current practices of SDB diagnosis and management in adult populations, and provide possible future directions. We critically review the opportunities for modern data analysis methods and machine learning to combine multimodal information, provide a perspective on the pitfalls of big data analysis, and discuss approaches for developing analysis strategies that overcome current limitations. We argue that large-scale and multidisciplinary collaborative efforts based on clinical, scientific, and technical knowledge and rigorous clinical validation and implementation of the outcomes in practice are needed to move the research of sleep-disordered breathing forward, thus increasing the quality of diagnostics and treatment.

The Saudi initiative for asthma - 2024 update: Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma in adults and children

The Saudi Initiative for Asthma 2024 (SINA-2024) is the sixth version of asthma guidelines for the diagnosis and management of asthma for adults and children that was developed by the SINA group, a subsidiary of the Saudi Thoracic Society. The main objective of the SINA is to have guidelines that are up-to-date, simple to understand, and easy to use by healthcare workers dealing with asthma patients. To facilitate achieving the goals of asthma management, the SINA Panel approach is mainly based on the assessment of symptom control and risk for both adults and children. The approach to asthma management is aligned for age groups: adults, adolescents, children aged 5-12 years, and children aged <5 years. SINA guidelines have focused more on personalized approaches reflecting a better understanding of disease heterogeneity with the integration of recommendations related to biologic agents, evidence-based updates on treatment, and the role of immunotherapy in management. The medication appendix has also been updated with the addition of recent evidence, new indications for existing medication, and new medications. The guidelines are constructed based on the available evidence, local literature, and the current situation at national and regional levels. There is also an emphasis on patient-doctor partnership in the management that also includes a self-management plan.

Interventional management of mitral regurgitation and sleep disordered breathing: "Catching two birds with one stone"

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB), mostly constituting of obstructive and central sleep apnea (OSA and CSA, respectively), is highly prevalent in the general population, and even more among patients with cardiovascular disease, heart failure (HF) and valvular heart disease, such as mitral regurgitation (MR). The coexistence of HF, MR and SDB is associated with worse cardiovascular outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary congestion, as a result of MR, can exaggerate and worsen the clinical status and symptoms of SDB, while OSA and CSA, through various mechanisms that impair left ventricular dynamics, can promote left ventricular remodelling, mitral annulus dilatation and consequently MR. Regarding treatment, positive airway pressure devices used to ameliorate symptoms in SDB also seem to result in a reduction of MR severity, MR jet fraction and an improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction. However, surgical and transcatheter interventions for MR, and especially transcatheter edge to edge mitral valve repair (TEER), seem to also have a positive effect on SDB, by reducing OSA and CSA-related severity indexes and improving symptom control. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the common pathophysiology between SDB and MR, as well as to discuss the available evidence regarding the effect of SDB treatment on MR and the effect of mitral valve surgery or transcatheter repair on both OSA and CSA.

Sleep and cardiovascular disease

This review centres around the recent evidence in examining the intersection of sleep and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Sleep in this review will be further subdivided to consider both sleep quantity and quality along and will also consider some of the more common sleep disorders, such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnoea, in the context of CVD. Sleep disorders have been further explored in several specific populations which are both at risk of sleep disorders and CVD. Secondly, the review will present some of the risk factors for CVD that are affected by sleep and sleep disorders which include hypertension, diabetes, and obesity. It will also examine the potential underlying mechanisms including inflammation, appetite control, endocrine, and genetic processes that are affected by sleep and sleep disorders leading to increased risk of CVD development. In addition, we will consider the observed bi-directional relationships between sleep and cardiovascular risk factors. For example, obesity, a risk factor for CVD can be affected by sleep, but in turn can increase the risk of certain sleep disorder development which disrupts sleep, leading to further risk of obesity development and increased CVD risk. Finally, the review will explore emerging evidence around lifestyle interventions that have included a sleep component and how it impacts the management of CVD risk factor. The need for increased awareness of the health effects of poor sleep and sleep disorders will be discussed alongside the need for policy intervention to improve sleep to facilitate better health and well-being.

Obstructive sleep apnea promotes the progression of lung cancer by modulating cancer cell invasion and cancer-associated fibroblast activation via TGFβ signaling

OBJECTIVE

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with severity of pneumonia; however, the mechanism by which OSA promotes lung cancer progression is unclear.

METHODS

Twenty-five lung cancer patients were recruited to investigate the relationship between OSA and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAFs) activation. Lung cancer cells (A549) and WI38 fibroblast cells were used to explore the hypoxia-induced TGFβ expression using qPCR, Western blot, and ELISA. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cancer cell migration and invasion. A549 or A549-Luc + WI38 xenograft mouse models were established to detect the intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with lung tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vivo.

RESULTS

OSA promotes CAF activation and enrichment in lung cancer patients. Hypoxia (OSA-like treatment) activated TGFβ signaling in both lung cancer cells and fibroblasts, which promoted cancer cell migration and invasion, and enriched CAFs. IH promoted the progression and EMT process of lung cancer xenograft tumor. Co-inoculation of lung cancer cells and fibroblast cells could further promote lung cancer progression.

CONCLUSIONS

IH promotes lung cancer progression by upregulating TGFβ signaling, promoting lung cancer cell migration, and increasing the CAF activation and proportion of lung tumors.

Risk factors in developing retinal vein occlusion in subject with obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a higher risk of developing vascular diseases. In this study, we evaluated the clinical profile of patients with OSA who develop retinal vein occlusion (RVO) compared with a population of OSA patients without RVO.

METHODS

We analyzed patients with OSA diagnosed with RVO (21 cases; mean of age 61 years. range 44-87 years. 67% men), belonging to a large cohort of people with long-term follow-up for RVO (up to 12 years). We compared them with 21 patients with OSA, without RVO, matched by age and gender, selected from the Sleep Unit Registry (control group).

RESULTS

There were no differences in the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AHT) or Diabetes mellitus (DM), but the RVO patients presented a higher diastolic blood pressure compared to controls (87.6±12.6 mmHg vs. 77.9±10.1 mmHg respectively). The polygraphic parameters were similar in both groups. The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (IHA) similar in both groups (30.4±20.9 RVO vs. 33.7±22.1 controls). In addition, RVO patients had a less favorable lipid profile, with higher total cholesterol (218±52 mg/dL vs. 179±41 mg/dL), higher LDL cholesterol (139±47 mg/dL vs. 107±32 mg/dL) and higher atherogenic indices: LDL/HDL (2.78±0.95 RVO vs. 2.03±0.67 controls) and total cholesterol/HDL (4.37±1.08 vs. 3.45±0.84). Among the cases, 81% had peripheral RVO (superior temporal branch in 20 out of 21 cases) and 19% had central RVO. A percentage of 62% of the cases received intravitreal antiangiogenic therapy and dexamethasone implants and 33% received argon laser photocoagulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor control of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly dyslipidemias, in patients with OSA may lead to the development of this ocular complication.

Hypoxia Induces Alterations in the Circadian Rhythm in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases

The function of the circadian cycle is to determine the natural 24 h biological rhythm, which includes physiological, metabolic, and hormonal changes that occur daily in the body. This cycle is controlled by an internal biological clock that is present in the body's tissues and helps regulate various processes such as sleeping, eating, and others. Interestingly, animal models have provided enough evidence to assume that the alteration in the circadian system leads to the appearance of numerous diseases. Alterations in breathing patterns in lung diseases can modify oxygenation and the circadian cycles; however, the response mechanisms to hypoxia and their relationship with the clock genes are not fully understood. Hypoxia is a condition in which the lack of adequate oxygenation promotes adaptation mechanisms and is related to several genes that regulate the circadian cycles, the latter because hypoxia alters the production of melatonin and brain physiology. Additionally, the lack of oxygen alters the expression of clock genes, leading to an alteration in the regularity and precision of the circadian cycle. In this sense, hypoxia is a hallmark of a wide variety of lung diseases. In the present work, we intended to review the functional repercussions of hypoxia in the presence of asthma, chronic obstructive sleep apnea, lung cancer, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, obstructive sleep apnea, influenza, and COVID-19 and its repercussions on the circadian cycles.

The association between blood pressure control and long-term cardiovascular outcomes in Hypertension coexistent with obstructive sleep apnea

PURPOSE

The goal of blood pressure (BP) control will be lower when hypertensive patients have comorbidities that can affect the risk of cardiovascular diseases. But, the goal of BP control for hypertensive patients coexistent with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is not discussed, which is a special population at high risk of cardiovascular diseases.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Using data from a retrospective study(Urumqi Research on Sleep Apnea and Hypertension (UROSAH) study, we enrolled 3267 participants who were diagnosed with hypertension and performed polysomnography during 2011-2013 to explore the association between BP control and long-term major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular event (MACCE). Outcomes of interest was the levels of BP control, MACCE, cardiac event and cerebrovascular event. Then we calculated the cumulative incidence of MACCE and performed Cox proportional hazards with stepwise models.

RESULTS

379 of 3267 patients experienced MACCE during a median follow-up of 7.0 years. After full risk adjustment, BP control of 120-139/80-89mmHg was associated with the lowest risk of cerebrovascular event (HR: 0.53, 95%CI:0.35-0.82) rather than MACCE and cardiac event in the total cohort. The association did not change much in patients with OSA. When the SBP and DBP were discussed separately, the SBP control of 120-139mmHg or < 120mmHg was associated with the decreased incidence of MACCE and cerebrovascular event. When DBP control < 80 mm Hg, the risk of cerebrovascular event showed 54% decrease [(HR:0.46, 95%CI: 0.25-0.88)] in patients with hypertension and OSA.

CONCLUSION

In this retrospective study, antihypertensive-drug-induced office and home BP control at 120-139/80-89mmHg showed possible beneficial effect on incident MACCE. However, current results need to be verified in future studies.

Major Adverse Cardiac and Cerebrovascular Events in Geriatric Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea: An Inpatient Sample Analysis

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of major cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). However, data on the burden and predictors of MACCE in geriatric patients with OSA (G-OSA) remain limited.

METHODS

Using the National Inpatient Sample from 2018, we identified G-OSA admissions (age ≥ 65 years) and divided them into non-MACCE vs. MACCE (all-cause mortality, stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrest). We compared the demographics and comorbidities in both cohorts and extracted the odds ratio (multivariate analysis) of MACCE and associated in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

Out of 1,141,120 geriatric obstructive sleep apnea G-OSA admissions, 9.9% (113,295) had MACCE. Males, Asians, or the Pacific Islander/Native American race, and patients from the lowest income quartile revealed a higher MACCE rate. Significant clinical predictors of MACCE in elderly OSA patients on multivariable regression analysis in decreasing odds were pulmonary circulation disease (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.31-1.66), coagulopathy (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.35-1.50), peripheral vascular disease (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.28-1.40), prior sudden cardiac arrest (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.11-1.62), prior myocardial infarction (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.22-1.33), fluid and electrolyte imbalances (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.20-1.29), male sex (OR 1.22, 95% CI-1.18-1.26), hyperlipidemia (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.16-1.24), low household income (OR 1.19, CI 1.13-1.26), renal failure (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12-1.19), diabetes (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.10-1.17), metastatic cancer (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03-1.25), and prior stroke or TIA (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.07-1.17) (All p value < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes the significant association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and major cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in the geriatric population. Among the elderly OSA patients, a substantial 9.9% were found to have MACCE, with specific demographics like males, Asian or Pacific Islander/Native American individuals, and those from the lowest income quartile being particularly vulnerable. The study sheds light on several significant clinical predictors, with pulmonary circulation disease, coagulopathy, and peripheral vascular disease topping the list. The highlighted predictors provide valuable insights for clinicians, allowing for better risk stratification and targeted interventions in this vulnerable patient cohort. Further research is essential to validate these findings and inform how tailored therapeutic approaches for geriatric OSA patients can mitigate MACCE risk.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Elderly individuals with a high risk for MACCE should undergo routine OSA screening using tools like the sensitive STOP-BANG Questionnaire. Implementing CPAP treatment can enhance cardiovascular outcomes in these patients.

Towards an adiposity-related disease framework for the diagnosis and management of obesities

Obesity is a complex disease that relapses frequently and associates with multiple complications that comprise a worldwide health priority because of its rising prevalence and association with numerous complications, including metabolic disorders, mechanic pathologies, and cancer, among others. Noteworthy, excess adiposity is accompanied by chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and subsequent organ dysfunction. This dysfunctional adipose tissue is initially stored in the visceral depot, overflowing subsequently to produce lipotoxicity in ectopic depots like liver, heart, muscle, and pancreas, among others. People living with obesity need a diagnostic approach that considers an exhaustive pathophysiology and complications assessment. Thus, it is essential to warrant a holistic diagnosis and management that guarantees an adequate health status, and quality of life. The present review summarizes the different complications associated with obesity, at the same time, we aim to fostering a novel framework that enhances a patient-centered approach to obesity management in the precision medicine era.

Analysis of corneal topographic and endothelial cell properties in newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea patients: A case-control study

PURPOSE

To investigate the topographic features and endothelial cell changes in the corneas of patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

BACKGROUND

This cross-sectional case-control study included 98 patients with OSA and 90 healthy controls. OSA was diagnosed on the basis of a polysomnographic sleep examination. Patients with OSA were grouped according to their apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) scores. Corneal topographic measurements were obtained using the Scheimpflug-Placido disk topographer, and keratometry values, anterior chamber parameters, thinnest corneal thickness, symmetry index (SI), keratoconus vertex (KV), and the Baiocchi-Calossi-Versaci index, including keratoconus (KC) screening indexes, were recorded. The corneal endothelium was visualizedby specular microscopy, and the endothelial cell density, coefficient of variability (CV), and percentage of hexagonal cells (HEX) were recorded.

RESULTS

In this study, 32 patients had mild, 34 patients had moderate, and 32 patients had severe OSA. The mean back KV (KVb) and back SI values were significantly higher in the OSA group than in the control group (P <0.001, P = 0.035, respectively). As body mass index (BMI) increased, KVb also increased significantly (r = 0.281; P = 0.009). The mean CV and HEX values differed significantly between the OSA and control groups (P = 0.012 and P = 0.002, respectively). In addition, a significant correlation was found between AHI and KVb and CV values (r = 0.315; P <0.001 and r = 0.231; P = 0.011, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed abnormal changes in the corneal endothelial morphology and topographic KC screening indexes in relation to OSA severity in patients and controls. Further research is required to determine the effect of BMI on corneal topographic findings in patients with OSA.

The role of microRNAs in pathophysiology and diagnostics of metabolic complications in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep disorders, which is characterized by recurrent apneas and/or hypopneas occurring during sleep due to upper airway obstruction. Among a variety of health consequences, OSA patients are particularly susceptible to developing metabolic complications, such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as epigenetic modulators are promising particles in both understanding the pathophysiology of OSA and the prediction of OSA complications. This review describes the role of miRNAs in the development of OSA-associated metabolic complications. Moreover, it summarizes the usefulness of miRNAs as biomarkers in predicting the aforementioned OSA complications.

Cognitive Functions, Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms After One Year of CPAP Treatment in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Objective

The study worked with depressive symptoms, anxiety score and cognitive functions in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients treated with CPAP.

Methods

Eighty-one subjects with OSA and without psychiatric comorbidity were treated with CPAP for one year and completed the following scales and cognitive tests: Trail Making Test, Verbal Fluency Test, d2 Test, Beck Depression Inventory-II and Beck Anxiety Inventory. MINI ruled out psychiatric disorder. At the two months check-up, subjects were re-evaluated for depressive and anxiety symptoms, and after one year of CPAP treatment, subjects repeated cognitive tests and scales. Data about therapy adherence and effectiveness were obtained from the patient's CPAP machines.

Results

The study was completed by 59 CPAP adherent patients and eight non-adherent patients. CPAP therapy effectiveness was verified in all patients by decreasing the apnea-hypopnoea index below 5 and/or 10% of baseline values. The adherent patients significantly improved depressive and anxiety symptoms. There was also an improvement in overall performance in the attention test; however, performance in many individual items did not change. The adherent patients also improved verbal fluency and in the Part B of the Trail making test. The non-adherent group significantly increased the number of mistakes made in the d2 test; other results were non-significant.

Conclusion

According to our results, OSA patients' mood, anxiety and certain cognitive domains improved during the one-year therapy with CPAP.

Trial Registration Number

NCT03866161.

The Burden of Comorbidities in Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the Pathophysiologic Mechanisms and Effects of CPAP

Micro-arousals and the repeated desaturation of oxyhemoglobin, which are typical in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), have adverse effects on the health of patients, leading to a wide range of complications such as cardiovascular (arterial hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, chronic heart failure, arrhythmias, myocardial infarction), cerebrovascular (strokes), metabolic (insulin resistance, obesity, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome), gastrointestinal (non-alcoholic liver disease), urinary (chronic renal failure), and neuropsychiatric complications as well as a wide range of malignancies. These, in turn, have multilateral effects on familial, occupational, and social life, as well as increasing the risks of road traffic accidents and accidents at the workplace. Awareness, timely screening, and the prevention of complications play important roles in diagnosing and treating comorbid conditions. This review focuses on comorbidities in OSAS and the effect of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy on their prognoses.

Pilot study of positive airway pressure usage, patient journey and program engagement for users of a digital obstructive sleep apnea program

Purpose

This single-arm, decentralized pilot study assessed patient journey, positive airway pressure (PAP) usage and program satisfaction for users of an entirely virtual telemedicine program for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis and management. This analysis focuses specifically on the subset of participants in the program who were diagnosed with OSA and prescribed PAP therapy.

Methods

The Verily Clinical Studies Platform was used for virtual screening, consent, and enrolling eligible patients from North Carolina and Texas. After completing the virtual OSA diagnosis process, participants diagnosed with OSA and prescribed PAP therapy downloaded the program's mobile app. The app featured tools such as educational content, live coaching support, and motivational enhancement.

Results

Of the patients included in this analysis (N = 105), the majority were female (58%), and white (90%). The mean time from first televisit to PAP initiation was 29.2 (SD 12.8) days and f 68 out of the 105 patients (65%) reached 90-day adherence. On average, patients used their PAP device for 4.4 h per day, and 5.4 h on days used. Engagement with the app was associated with higher rates of PAP adherence. Adherent individuals used the mobile app 52 out of the 90 days on average, compared to non-adherent individuals who used the app on 35 out of the 90 days on average (p = 0.0003).

Conclusions

All of the 105 patients in this program diagnosed with OSA and prescribed PAP therapy were able to efficiently complete the entire OSA diagnostic pathway. The majority of these individuals also were able to adhere to their prescribed PAP therapy and had clinically meaningful PAP usage rates over the 90 days of therapy. Future studies might further evaluate the impact of this type of end-to-end virtual program on longer-term adherence and clinical outcomes over time.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04599803?term=NCT04599803&draw=2&rank=1, identifier NCT04599803.

Predicting Visit Cost of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Electronic Healthcare Records With Transformer

BACKGROUND

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is growing increasingly prevalent in many countries as obesity rises. Sufficient, effective treatment of OSA entails high social and financial costs for healthcare.

OBJECTIVE

For treatment purposes, predicting OSA patients' visit expenses for the coming year is crucial. Reliable estimates enable healthcare decision-makers to perform careful fiscal management and budget well for effective distribution of resources to hospitals. The challenges created by scarcity of high-quality patient data are exacerbated by the fact that just a third of those data from OSA patients can be used to train analytics models: only OSA patients with more than 365 days of follow-up are relevant for predicting a year's expenditures.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

The authors propose a translational engineering method applying two Transformer models, one for augmenting the input via data from shorter visit histories and the other predicting the costs by considering both the material thus enriched and cases with more than a year's follow-up. This method effectively adapts state-of-the-art Transformer models to create practical cost prediction solutions that can be implemented in OSA management, potentially enhancing patient care and resource allocation.

RESULTS

The two-model solution permits putting the limited body of OSA patient data to productive use. Relative to a single-Transformer solution using only a third of the high-quality patient data, the solution with two models improved the prediction performance's [Formula: see text] from 88.8% to 97.5%. Even using baseline models with the model-augmented data improved the [Formula: see text] considerably, from 61.6% to 81.9%.

CONCLUSION

The proposed method makes prediction with the most of the available high-quality data by carefully exploiting details, which are not directly relevant for answering the question of the next year's likely expenditure. Clinical and Translational Impact Statement: Public Health- Lack of high-quality source data hinders data-driven analytics-based research in healthcare. The paper presents a method that couples data augmentation and prediction in cases of scant healthcare data.

Severity, comorbidities, and adherence to therapy in Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders with obstructive sleep apnea

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Considerable disparities in the prevalence, diagnosis, and management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) exist for minority groups in the United States. However, the impact of OSA on Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (NHPIs) has not been evaluated.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patient records of NHPIs who underwent sleep apnea testing between 2014 and 2021 at a single center in Utah to characterize the distribution of comorbidities, disease severity, and treatment adherence.

RESULTS

140 of 141 NHPI patients who underwent sleep testing had OSA. High rates of obesity (94%) and other relevant comorbidities were found. OSA was mostly severe (57%), particularly in males with higher obesity. Adherence to continuous positive airway pressure was low (41% using for 4 or more hours on 70% of nights), and medical factors predicted whether adherence targets were met with modest accuracy (area under the curve 0.699).

CONCLUSIONS

NHPIs at a single sleep center had a high prevalence of comorbidities in association with OSA, a skewed distribution toward severe disease suggestive of barriers to care or unique disease characteristics, and low adherence to continuous positive airway pressure. These findings suggest a high burden of OSA in this population, and further work to characterize barriers to identifying and treating OSA in NHPIs can improve chronic disease outcomes in NHPIs.

CITATION

Locke BW, Sundar DJ, Ryujin D. Severity, comorbidities, and adherence to therapy in Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(5):967-974.

Covid-19 and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: The Theatricals and Quality-of-Life Impact

COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV2 has reached pandemic proportions. The fear of Covid-19 has deterred many to abandon efforts for seeking timely medical help. In this setting, Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-like covid/non-covid cohorts have presented. Atypical pathologies can present like OSA and take the clinician unawares. With this series of misfits suffering silently, it would be unwise to underestimate its impact on quality-of-life (QOL). To determine the effect on quality-of-life by pathologies mimicking OSA and assess Covid-19 as a cause for delayed presentation. This was a prospective cross-sectional study. 127(N). Recent onset of symptoms of OSA. Study duration March 2020 to September 2021. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) screening done. Study criteria defined. Sleep parameters calculated. Primary surgical intervention given. Non-responders were put on CPAP therapy. QOL assessment done with sf-36 and SAQLI. Fear of Covid-19 scale (FCV-19S) quantified to study cause for temporal delay. Correlations computed. Level of Evidence-Level 3. 97 candidates completed study. Demographic and anthropometric details noted. Mean range was 43.85 ± 11.39 years. Male predominance. Overall AHI-19.73 ± 8.72. Moderate impact on QOL by sf-36/SAQLI. 78n Primary surgical candidates fared well. Polysomnography (PSG) and Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) titration/trial characteristics for 19n available. Statistically significant improvement in QOL after treatment completion. Correlations were meaningful. Body Mass Index (BMI) as a single factor was not influential on OSA-mimickers. Fear of Covid-19 significantly impacted emergency medical aid acquisition. OSA mimicking atypical airway pathologies may need emergent treatment not only from a surgical point-of-view but also from the QOL of the patient. On the contrary, these also unmask sub-clinical OSA, especially in patients with low/normal BMI. This category of recent onset OSA, if fortunately picked up at the earliest possible presentation, may hopefully not go through the significant QOL impact suffered by chronic OSA candidates.

Distinct cognitive changes in male patients with obstructive sleep apnoea without co-morbidities

Introduction

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a multisystem, debilitating, chronic disorder of breathing during sleep, resulting in a relatively consistent pattern of cognitive deficits. More recently, it has been argued that those cognitive deficits, especially in middle-aged patients, may be driven by cardiovascular and metabolic comorbidities, rather than by distinct OSA-processes, such as are for example ensuing nocturnal intermittent hypoxaemia, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and sleep fragmentation.

Methods

Thus, we undertook to define cognitive performance in a group of 27 middle-aged male patients with untreated OSA, who had no concomitant comorbidities, compared with seven matched controls (AHI mean ± S.D.: 1.9 ± 1.4 events/h; mean age 34.0 ± 9.3 years; mean BMI 23.8 ± 2.3 kg/m2). Of the 27 patients, 16 had mild OSA (AHI mean ± S.D.:11.7 ± 4.0 events/h; mean age 42.6 ± 8.2 years; mean BMI 26.7 ± 4.1 kg/m2), and 11 severe OSA (AHI 41.8 ± 20.7 events/h; age: 46.9 ± 10.9 years, BMI: 28.0 ± 3.2 kg/m2).

Results

In our patient cohort, we demonstrate poorer executive-functioning, visuospatial memory, and deficits in vigilance sustained attention, psychomotor and impulse control. Remarkably, we also report, for the first time, effects on social cognition in this group of male, middle-aged OSA patients.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that distinct, OSA-driven processes may be sufficient for cognitive changes to occur as early as in middle age, in otherwise healthy individuals.

The Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Public Health Problem-Interactions with Sleep Efficacy and Mental Health

With the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was stipulated that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a greater risk of morbidity and mortality and may even experience changes in their mental health. The aim of the current study is to evaluate how patients managed their disease (sleep apnea) during the COVID-19 pandemic, to determine if continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) usage changed after the beginning of the pandemic, to compare the stress level with the baseline, and to observe if any modifications are related to their individual characteristics. The present studies highlight the level of anxiety, which was high among patients with OSA during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05), with its influence on weight control (62.5% of patients with high levels of stress gained weight) and sleep schedule (82.6% reported a change in sleep schedule). Patients with severe OSA and high levels of stress increased their CPAP usage (354.5 min/night vs. 399.5 min/night during the pandemic, p < 0.05). To conclude, in OSA patients, the presence of the pandemic led to a greater level of anxiety, changes in sleep schedule and weight gain because of job loss, isolation, and emotional changes, influencing mental health. A possible solution, telemedicine, could become a cornerstone in the management of these patients.

Autophagy impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea modulates intermittent hypoxia-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis via hypermethylation of the ATG5 gene promoter region

BACKGROUND

Autophagy is a catabolic process that recycles damaged organelles and acts as a pro-survival mechanism, but little is known about autophagy dysfunction and epigenetic regulation in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

METHODS

Protein/gene expressions and DNA methylation levels of the autophagy-related genes (ATG) were examined in blood leukocytes from 64 patients with treatment-naïve OSA and 24 subjects with primary snoring (PS).

RESULTS

LC3B protein expression of blood monocytes, and ATG5 protein expression of blood neutrophils were decreased in OSA patients versus PS subjects, while p62 protein expression of cytotoxic T cell was increased, particularly in those with nocturia. ATG5, ULK1, and BECN1 gene expressions of peripheral blood mononuclear cells were decreased in OSA patients versus PS subjects. LC3B gene promoter regions were hypermethylated in OSA patients, particularly in those with excessive daytime sleepiness, while ATG5 gene promoter regions were hypermethylated in those with morning headache or memory impairment. LC3B protein expression of blood monocytes and DNA methylation levels of the LC3B gene promoter region were negatively and positively correlated with apnea hyponea index, respectively. In vitro intermittent hypoxia with re-oxygenation exposure to human THP-1/HUVEC cell lines resulted in LC3B/ATG5/ULK1/BECN1 down-regulations and p62 up-regulation along with increased apoptosis and oxidative stress, while rapamycin and umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cell treatment reversed these abnormalities through de-methylation of the ATG5 gene promoter.

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired autophagy activity in OSA patients was regulated by aberrant DNA methylation, correlated with clinical phenotypes, and contributed to increased cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. Autophagy enhancers may be novel therapeutics for OSA-related neurocognitive dysfunction.

Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome: state of the art

Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS) is an extremely common sleep-related breathing disorder (SRBD) characterised by complete or partial collapse of the upper airways. These nocturnal phenomena cause high-frequency hypoxemic desaturations (or intermittent hypoxia, IH) during sleep and alterations in gas exchange. The result of IH is the development or worsening of cerebro-cardio-vascular, metabolic and other diseases, which cause a high risk of death. Hence, OSAHS is a multifactorial disease affecting several organs and systems and presenting with various clinical manifestations involving different medical branches. Although it has been estimated that about one billion individuals worldwide are affected by OSAHS, this SRBD remains underestimated also due to misinformation regarding both patients and physicians. Therefore, this review aims to provide information on the main symptoms and risk factors for the detection of individuals at risk of OSAHS, as well as to present the diagnostic investigations to be performed and the different therapeutic approaches. The scientific evidence reported suggest that OSAHS is an extremely common and complex disorder that has a large impact on the health and quality of life of individuals, as well as on healthcare expenditure. Moreover, given its multifactorial nature, the design and implementation of diagnostic and therapeutic programmes through a multidisciplinary approach are necessary for a tailor-made therapy for each patient.

Impact of OSA treatment success on changes in hypertension and obesity: A retrospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been shown to lead to the development of chronic cardiometabolic conditions, including obesity and cardiovascular disease. We sought to describe the impact of the success of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and surgery, common treatment options for pediatric OSA, on cardiometabolic conditions.

METHODS

A retrospective review of patients (≤18 years) diagnosed with OSA based on a polysomnogram at a tertiary care pediatric otolaryngology practice from 2015 to 2019 was conducted. Clinical data, including the systolic blood pressure (SBP) values, body mass index (BMI), overall apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) values, and CPAP compliance, were collected. Linear mixed-effects models were developed to observe the relationship between the clinical measurements of each comorbidity and OSA treatment modalities.

RESULTS

414 patients were included. BMI and SBP measures were collected for 230 and 184 patients respectively. The difference-in-difference estimate for the SBP z-score percentile after successful treatment was -5.5 ± 2.1 percentile units per 100 days. The difference-in-difference estimate for SBP z-score percentile after successful CPAP treatment was -13.2 ± 5.1 percentile units per 100 days while the estimate after successful surgical treatment was -4.6 ± 2.4 percentile units per 100 days. No significant differences were found between clinical measures for obese patients in any treatment cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Successful OSA management was shown to have a positive impact on SBP in hypertensive patients and no impact on BMI in obese patients. In hypertensive patients, CPAP success tripled improvements in SBP z-score percentile compared to surgical treatment success.

Accumulating Comorbidities May Promote Increasing Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Aging in Males but Not in Females

Evidence suggests an increasing apnea−hypopnea index (AHI) with aging. However, the effect of aging on sleep-related metrics, especially AHI, has been less frequently investigated within different gender-specific subpopulations by taking prominent confounding factors, e.g., obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-related comorbidities and body mass index (BMI) into account. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed 186 first-time polysomnographic (PSG) recordings and medical files of all patients presented to a tertiary university sleep center during a 1-year period. Six groups were formed based on age (over vs. under 55 years) and gender: PSG-related parameters (AHI, apnea-index, and hypopnea-index) were significantly higher in the older mixed-gender cohort (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0011, and p = 0.0015, respectively), and the older female cohort (p = 0.0005, p = 0.0027, and p = 0.001, respectively). Within the older male cohort, the AHI and apnea-index were significantly higher (p = 0.0067, and p = 0.0135, respectively). Inter-group comparison of the BMI showed no significant difference in any subpopulation. Within the older male cohort there were significantly more patients with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and chronic mental health disorders (p < 0.0001, p = 0.001, p = 0.0181, and p = 0.0454, respectively). Contrarily, within the female subpopulation there were no significant differences for the aforementioned comorbidities. In conclusion, all investigated sleep PSG-parameters increased among the older subpopulations. We suggest that Osa severity may increase with age due to the increasing accumulation of comorbidities in males, but not in females.

Pregnancy outcomes in infertility patients diagnosed with sleep disordered breathing with wireless wearable sensors

OBJECTIVE

To study the feasibility of home-based assessment of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) on early pregnancy success after in vitro fertilization with novel wearable sensors.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Patients 18 to 45 years old undergoing autologous IVF at an academic infertility center.

PATIENTS

30 women (24-44 years old) INTERVENTION: Participants provided medical history, completed sleep surveys, and a single night of home sleep monitoring prior to IVF with a novel, FDA-cleared wireless sensor system (ANNE® Sleep, Sibel Health), to collect continuous measurements of heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse oxygenation, respiratory effort/snoring, peripheral arterial tonometry, pulse arrival time, and pulse transit time, an accepted surrogate of continuous blood pressure generated by pulse arrival time and pulse transit time. Sleep nights were reviewed to derive the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), defined as the average number of apnea or hypopnea events per hour. An AHI of greater than or equal to 5 events/hour was considered abnormal.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Rate of clinical pregnancy (defined as intrauterine gestational sac with a yolk sac) after IVF. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio.

RESULTS

The overall rate of sleep disordered breathing of any severity was 57%. Participants with SDB had a mean AHI of 13.4 compared to 2.7 events/hr (p<0.01), were younger, and more likely to have polycystic ovary syndrome. Of the 29 patients undergoing an embryo transfer, clinical pregnancy and livebirth occurred in 35% of women with SDB compared to 58% without SDB (p = 0.22). After adjusting for age, SDB reduced pregnancy rates but was not statistically significant (aOR 0.23, 95% CI: 0.04-1.5, p = 0.12). Though polycystic ovary syndrome was associated with higher rates of SDB it was not independently associated with lower pregnancy rates.

CONCLUSION

Screening for sleep disordered breathing using home-based wireless, wearable sensors was well accepted and easily performed by infertile patients in this cohort. Sleep disordered breathing of any severity was associated with an 77% (95% CI: 0.08-1.8) lower likelihood of clinical pregnancy and live birth independent of underlying diagnosis. Future larger studies will be needed to understand the role of sleep disordered breathing and IVF outcomes.

Inter-sleep stage variations in corrected QT interval differ between obstructive sleep apnea patients with and without stroke history

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is related to the progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); it is an independent risk factor for stroke and is also prevalent post-stroke. Furthermore, heart rate corrected QT (QTc) is an important predictor of the risk of arrhythmia and CVD. Thus, we aimed to investigate QTc interval variations in different sleep stages in OSA patients and whether nocturnal QTc intervals differ between OSA patients with and without stroke history. 18 OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥15) with previously diagnosed stroke and 18 OSA patients (AHI≥15) without stroke history were studied. Subjects underwent full polysomnography including an electrocardiogram measured by modified lead II configuration. RR, QT, and QTc intervals were calculated in all sleep stages. Regression analysis was utilized to investigate possible confounding effects of sleep stages and stroke history on QTc intervals. Compared to patients without previous stroke history, QTc intervals were significantly higher (β = 34, p<0.01) in patients with stroke history independent of age, sex, body mass index, and OSA severity. N3 sleep (β = 5.8, p<0.01) and REM sleep (β = 2.8, p<0.01) increased QTc intervals in both patient groups. In addition, QTc intervals increased progressively (p<0.05) towards deeper sleep in both groups; however, the magnitude of changes compared to the wake stage was significantly higher (p<0.05) in patients with stroke history. The findings of this study indicate that especially in deeper sleep, OSA patients with a previous stroke have an elevated risk for QTc prolongation further increasing the risk for ventricular arrhythmogenicity and sudden cardiac death.

Sleep and Safety among Healthcare Workers: The Effect of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Sleep Deprivation on Safety

Almost one billion people worldwide are affected by Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Affected individuals experience disordered breathing patterns during sleep, which results in fatigue, daytime drowsiness, and/or sleep deprivation. Working under the influence of these symptoms significantly impairs work productivity and leads to occupational accidents and errors. This impact is seen in healthcare workers (HCWs) who are not immune to these conditions. However, poorly controlled OSA in this subset of individuals takes a heavy toll on patient care due to the increased risk of medical errors and can also alter the mental and physical well-being of the affected HCW in various ways. OSA and safety issues have been recognized and mitigated among the airline and transport industries; however, the healthcare industry lags in addressing these concerns. This article reviews hypersomnolence and sleep disorder as key clinical features of OSA and their effect on HCW safety.

Medial temporal lobe and obstructive sleep apnea: Effect of sex, age, cognitive status and free-water

Medial temporal structures, namely the hippocampus, the entorhinal cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus, are particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease and hypoxemia. Here, we tested the associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and medial temporal lobe volumes in 114 participants aged 55-86 years (35 % women). We also investigated the impact of sex, age, cognitive status, and free-water fraction correction on these associations. Increased OSA severity was associated with larger hippocampal and entorhinal cortex volumes in women, but not in men. Greater OSA severity also correlated with increased hippocampal volumes in participants with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, but not in cognitively unimpaired participants, regardless of sex. Using free-water corrected volumes eliminated all significant associations with OSA severity. Therefore, the increase in medial temporal subregion volumes may possibly be due to edema. Whether these structural manifestations further progress to neuronal death in non-treated OSA patients should be investigated.

Obese patients experience more severe OSA than non-obese patients

To investigate whether previous exposure to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of obesity in obese and nonobese patients. We identified 24,363 obese patients diagnosed between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2015, in the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID) 2005 National Health Insurance Research Database; 97,452 sex-, age- and index date-matched nonobese patients were identified from the same database. This study is based on the ninth edition of the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the previous exposure of obese patients to OSA. P < .05 was considered significant. The average age of 121,815 patients was 44.30 ± 15.64 years old; 42.77% were males, and 57.23% were females. Obese patients were more likely to be exposed to OSA than nonobese patients (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.927, 95% CI = 1.878-4.194, P < .001), and the more recent the exposure period was, the more severely obese the patient, with a dose-response effect (OSA exposure < 1 year, AOR = 3.895; OSA exposure 1 year, <5 years, AOR = 2.933; OSA exposure 5 years, AOR = 2.486). The probability of OSA exposure in obese patients was 2.927 times that in nonobese patients, and the longer the exposure duration was, the more severe the obesity situation, with a dose-response effect (OSA exposure < 1 year, AOR = 2.251; OSA exposure 1 year, <5 years, AOR = 2.986; OSA exposure 5 years, AOR = 3.452). The risk of obesity in subjects with OSA was found to be significantly higher in this nested case-control study; in particular, a longer exposure to OSA was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity, with a dose-response effect.

Dental Sleep Medicine among dental practitioners: Preliminary findings from the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

Objectives/Introduction

Dental sleep medicine (DSM) focuses on oral appliance therapy (OAT) to manage sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This brief poll aimed to assess the interest and practices of dental practitioners in DSM. To this day lack of data exists regarding how DSM practices function in the clinical setting. Therefore, identifying knowledge gaps in DSM among dental practitioners may improve patient outcomes.

Methods

A preliminary brief questionnaire ("Quick Poll") on DSM was conducted through the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (Network) members (n=311). The poll contained five questions about DSM.

Results

Results showed that 66% of practitioners have involvement in DSM patient care. A total of 44% of practitioners who answered the Quick Poll do not screen for snoring or SDBs. About 40% of respondents are either interested in continuing education courses on the topic or had already taken multiple courses on DSM. The top three topics of DSM research of interest to practitioners were various DSM practice models, response to OAT, and compliance with OAT.

Conclusion

Network dental practitioner respondents face challenges regarding the treatment of SDBs. Despite these challenges, most practitioners are interested in engaging in DSM. Based on these preliminary findings, there are informational needs regarding the current state of clinical care, side effects of OAT, choice of OAT, titration protocols, and patient outcomes.

Optical coherence tomography angiography and Humphrey visual field in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To determine if obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) predisposes patients to glaucoma and macular disease due to vascular compromise by evaluating retinal and optic nerve vasculature and function using optical coherence tomography angiography and Humphrey visual field testing, respectively.

METHODS

In this prospective, observational, cross-sectional study 45 patients undergoing polysomnography ordered per standard of care were selected and stratified based on apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Medical history, visual acuity testing, 24-2 Humphrey visual field, intraocular pressure measurement, and optical coherence tomography angiography studies of the macular and peripapillary retina were obtained. Correlations between polysomnography parameters and imaging data were analyzed.

RESULTS

The radial peripapillary capillary vascular density demonstrated no relationship to AHI (95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.026,0.038]) or severity of OSAS (95% CI: [-0.772, 3.648]) for moderate OSAS compared to mild/normal and (-1.295, 3.1421) for severe compared to mild/normal. Optical coherence tomography angiography superficial parafoveal vascular density (95% CI: [-0.068,0.011], deep parafoveal vascular density (95% CI: [-0.080,0.009]), and foveal avascular zone (95% CI: [-0.001, 0.001]) showed no statistically significant relationship to AHI or OSAS severity after controlling for confounders. Optical coherence tomography retinal nerve fiber layer thickness increased with AHI (P = .014), but there was no statistically significant correlation with OSAS severity with retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (95% CI: [-12.543, 6.792] for moderate comparing to normal and [-2.883, 16.551] for severe comparing to normal). Visual field parameters were unaffected by OSAS (95% CI: mean deviation [-0.21,0.29], pattern standard deviation: [-0.351, 0.121], visual field index: [-0.166, 0.329]). Optical coherence tomography choroidal thickness showed a statistically significant decrease when OSAS was grouped by severity (P = .0092) but did not correlate with AHI (P = .129, 95% CI: [-1.210, 0.095]).

CONCLUSIONS

The severity of OSAS did not show a statistically significant effect on parameters associated with glaucoma or macular vascular disease. Larger cohorts may be required to determine the physiologic consequences of OSAS on the macular and optic nerve vasculature, structure, and function.

CITATION

Davanian A, Williamson L, Taylor C, et al. Optical coherence tomography angiography and Humphrey visual field in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 2022;18(9):2133-2142.

Effectiveness of Titratable Oral Appliance in Management of Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea-A Prospective Clinical Study with Acoustic Pharyngometry

To assess effectiveness of titratable Oral Appliance (OA) in management of moderate to severe cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Thirty Polysomnography (PSG) diagnosed cases of moderate to severe OSA were subjected to a thorough cranio-facial-dental evaluation, a detailed sleep history and three dimensional assessment of upper airway geometry utilising Acoustic Pharyngometry (AP) (Eccovision, sleep group solutions). A titratable OA was delivered to all patients for mandibular advancement. Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI), Oxygen Saturation (SPO2), Epworth's Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Mean area and volume of upper airway were recorded at Baseline (T0) and after 08 weeks of appliance delivery (T1). The mean AHI & ESS scores were significantly lower and SPO2 was significantly higher at T1 compared to T0 (P-value < 0.05 for all). The mean area and volume of upper airway at T1 were significantly higher compared to values at T0 (P-value < 0.05 for both). The mean area showed 19.51% increase at T1 whereas mean volume increased by 18.55%. OA therapy is highly efficacious in cases with moderate to severe OSA, especially, in those with retrognathic mandible. This modality should be considered as an effective alternate to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy in non-compliant patients rather than no treatment. AP is an effective modality to predict airway changes after advancement with OA, to ascertain follow up changes and is highly recommended in routine clinical practice. Large scale, multicenter studies are recommended to elaborate the findings of the present study and to add better quality evidence in this regard.

The association between obstructive sleep apnoea and wound healing: a systematic review

Purpose

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a common, significantly underdiagnosed sleep-related breathing disorder, characterised by upper airway collapse and resultant intermittent hypoxia. Oxygen plays an important role in collagen synthesis and as a result in wound healing. An association between OSA and wound healing has not been clearly delineated. A systematic review was performed to understand this association.

Methods

Randomised controlled trials, cohort, cross-sectional and case–control studies evaluating the relationship between OSA or OSA-related symptoms and wound healing in adult populations were searched in the systematic review using electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE.

Main results

A total of 11 cohort studies and 1 case–control study with a total of 58,198,463 subjects were included. Most studies suggest that patients diagnosed with OSA or who are at high risk of having OSA are more likely to suffer from wound complications. Patients with OSA have been found to be at higher risk for post-operative wound infection and wound dehiscence. Contradictory results were obtained on time to heal, with one study concluding that individuals with OSA were more likely to heal earlier when compared to patients without OSA. Quality of evidence, however, was deemed very low due to high risk of bias.

Conclusions

This systematic review did identify an association between OSA and wound healing. However, due to the very low-quality evidence, further research is warranted to better characterise this association and investigate whether or not treating OSA can indeed affect wound healing.

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and erectile dysfunction: An underdiagnosed link? A prospective cross-sectional study

This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of erectile dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea. We enrolled 133 male patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnoea. Ear, nose and throat evaluation, laboratory tests, body mass index, Epworth sleepiness scale, 5‐international index of erectile function, overnight ambulatory polygraphy and drug‐induced sleep endoscopy patterns were assessed. Eighty patients reported obstructive sleep apnoea. 60% (n = 48) reported erectile dysfunction. Statistically significant correlations were found between 5‐International Index of Erectile Function and age, hypertension, diabetes, Epworth sleepiness scale, apnoea‐hypopnea index score, O₂ saturation‐nadir, and oxygen desaturation index. Age, diabetes and O₂ saturation‐nadir were independent predictors of erectile function. Epworth sleepiness scale, apnoea‐hypopnea index score, O₂ saturation‐nadir, oxygen desaturation index and albumin were higher compared to patients without erectile dysfunction. No statistically significant differences were reported for drug‐induced sleep endoscopy patterns and erectile dysfunction. Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea were at significant risk of having erectile dysfunction. Males with obstructive sleep apnoea should be investigated for erectile dysfunction.

[Obstructive Sleep Apnea]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined as the presence of an apnea-hyponea index (AHI)>15/h, predominantly obstructive or AHI greater than 5 with symptoms, the classic symptoms are observed apneas, daytime sleepiness and snoring, however, there are many other associated symptoms. To assess the severity of OSA, classically, only the AHI value was considered, but there is increasing evidence to implicate other factors. The predisposition to develop OSA is determined by anatomical and functional features. Having OSA increases the risk of accidents, high blood pressure (HBP) and is associated with cardiovascular risk, diabetes mellitus (DM), cardiac arrhythmia and neoplasms. To assess the probability of OSA, questionnaires and scales have been developed to assess symptoms, the certain diagnosis is obtained by polysomnography (PSG), which is the gold standard test, or polygraphy, which is a simpler and more accessible diagnostic test for diagnosis validated, the use of one or the other will depend on the suspicion and the associated comorbidities. Treatments for sleep apnea increasingly tend to be more individualized based on the characteristics of the patient and all are complementary. Hygienic-dietary measures should be applied in all patients, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the most effective treatment and with the most evidence, but other treatments are also available such as mandibular advancement devices (MAD), postural therapy and surgical options among others. Telemedicine is advancing in the follow-up of patients with OSA, both from non-face-to-face consultations and control of equipment via Wi-Fi to assess adherence, efficacy and correct control of therapy.