Authors' recommendations: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic disorder affecting 2% to 4% of adults. It is characterized by repetitive collapse of the oropharyngeal airway during sleep, with resultant nocturnal hypoxemia, recurrent arousals from sleep, daytime sleepiness, apnea (cessation of breathing), hypopnea (shallow breathing), hypoxia (low blood oxygen concentration), hypercapnia (high blood carbon dioxide level), and loud snoring. Untreated OSA is more common in the aged and in obese and overweight patients and is associated with daytime sleepiness, fatigue, insomnia, decreased quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization. The apnea hypopnea index (AHI), which expresses the number of apnea and hypopnea events per hour of sleep, is frequently measured in patients with OSA. Moderate to severe OSA is defined by an AHI of > 15 events per hour during sleep. The oxygen desaturation index (ODI) is the number of desaturations of 4% below the baseline level per hour during sleep. Nightly use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the standard of care for patients with moderate to severe OSA. However, despite many redesigns by manufacturers aimed at increasing patient comfort, adherence to CPAP therapy is low.

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2014

URL for published report: The report may be purchased from: http://www.hayesinc.com/hayes/crd/?crd=17216

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: United States

Organisation Name: HAYES, Inc.

Contact Address: 157 S. Broad Street, Suite 200, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: 215 855 0615; Fax: 215 855 5218

Contact Name: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Contact Email: saleinfo@hayesinc.com

Copyright: 2014 Winifred S. Hayes, Inc