Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Our understanding of the nature and consequences of upper-airway obstruction in adults during sleep has evolved considerably over the past two decades. Sleep apnea — defined as repeated episodes of obstructive apnea and hypopnea during sleep, together with daytime sleepiness or altered cardiopulmonary function — is common.1 Epidemiologic studies estimate that the condition affects 2 to 4 percent of middle-aged adults.2 Only a small portion of the cases in this group of adults have been diagnosed; this is related to insufficient awareness of sleep apnea among physicians and the public at large.3 DefinitionsThe manifestations of upper-airway closure during sleep . . .