Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Related Disorders

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea. Certain risk factors may predispose susceptible individuals to develop OSA. Those risk factors include obesity, aging, male gender, and ethnicity, among others. Individuals with OSA may have increased comorbidity and mortality due to the presence of various medical conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, stroke, seizures and epilepsy. It is indispensable to understand the fact that those medical conditions may commutatively exacerbate the severity of OSA and interfere with the effective treatment for OSA. On the other hand, effective treatment of OSA may potentiate the efficacy of the treatment for OSA-related comorbidity. Therefore, earlier detection of OSA and appropriate treatment may significantly modify the outcomes of this potentially life-threatening condition and improve the quality of life for those susceptible populations.