Although chronic sleep fragmentation and oxygen saturation (Sao2) drops alone do not induce obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), both are part of the feedback loop leading to obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). To determine factors in respiratory disturbance and Sao2 drops, we used polysomnographic and cephalometric data from 120 OSAS patients to construct a model which we then applied prospec...

BACKGROUND Most patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) can restore airflow after an obstructive respiratory event without arousal at least some of the time. The mechanisms that enable this ventilatory recovery are unclear but probably include increased upper airway dilator muscle activity and/or changes in respiratory timing. The aims of this study were to compare the ability to recover v...

There is limited information on the development of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in the absence of lung and cardiac comorbidity. This study aimed to investigate whether OSA patients without heart morbidity develop LV dysfunction, and to assess the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on LV function. Twenty-nine OSA patients and...

Community-based studies that measure both psychiatric diagnoses and obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) are lacking. This study reports current psychiatric disorders in community-dwelling adults at high risk for OSA identified by the Berlin Questionnaire. Furthermore, associations between OSA and current psychiatric disorders, unadjusted and adjusted for putative confounders, are reported. A subsamp...

Leukotrienes are biologically active lipid mediators of inflammation involved in atherogenesis. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) patients exhibit early atherosclerosis and activation of the leukotriene pathway. In OSA patients, the production of leukotrienes is increased in relation to OSA severity and in vitro exposure of immune cells to intermittent hypoxia increases leukotriene pathway transcr...

Although there is a strong correlation between oral/oro-nasal breathing and apnoea/hypopnoea index in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and normal nasal resistance at wakefulness, it remains unknown whether the pharmacological prevention of potential nasal obstruction during sleep could decrease oral/oro-nasal breathing and increase nasal breathing and subsequently decrease the apnoea/hypo...

This study was undertaken to determine whether abolition of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) could reduce blood pressure (BP) in patients with refractory hypertension. In 11 refractory hypertensive patients with OSA, the acute effects of CPAP on nocturnal BP were studied during sleep and its longer term effects on 24-h ambulatory BP after 2 months. Du...

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is being increasingly recognised as a cause of chronic cough. The impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy and the mechanism of this association are not well understood. We describe a patient with OSA and chronic cough who responded well to CPAP. Objective and subjective assessments of cough on treatment with CPAP, off CPAP and on follow-up as ...

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with cardiovascular disease. Dyslipidaemia has been implicated as a mechanism linking OSA with atherosclerosis, but no consistent associations with lipids exist for OSA or positive airway pressure treatment. We assessed the relationships between fasting lipid levels and obesity and OSA severity, and explored the impact of positive airway pressure tre...

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). EDS can lead to substantial impairments in quality of life and is a major cause of fatal accidents. However, not all patients with OSA develop EDS. The aim of this paper is to review the current literature to identify factors having an impact on sleepiness in patients with OS...