Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Excerpt

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is defined by frequent episodes of apnea and hypopnea associated with symptoms such as excessive daytime and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. SAS encompasses a broad spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing from central to mixed, obstructive apnea, and hypopnea. In obstructive SAS (i.e., obstructive sleep apnea-OSA), there is upper airway collapse and obstruction during sleep, which results in snoring, obstructive apneas (cessations of breathing), hypopneas (abnormally slow or shallow breathing), or respiratory-related arousals. The etiology, epidemiology, history and physical manifestation, diagnostic approach, and complications of SAS are reviewed here. More specifics of central and obstructive sleep apnea are also described separately in more detail.