Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increases the risk of stroke independent of known vascular and metabolic risk factors. Although patients with OSA have higher prevalence of hypertension and evidence of hypercoagulability, the mechanism of this increased risk is unknown. Obstructive apnea events are associated with surges in blood pressure, hypercapnia, and fluctuations in cerebral blood flow. Thes...

Decreased noradrenergic excitation of hypoglossal motoneurons during sleep causing hypotonia of pharyngeal dilator muscles is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a widespread disease for which treatment options are limited. Previous OSA drug candidates targeting various excitatory/inhibitory receptors on hypoglossal motoneurons have proved unviable in react...

Recent advances in sensor technologies and predictive analytics are fueling the growth in point-of-care (POC) therapies for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and other sleep disorders. The effectiveness of POC therapies can be enhanced by providing personalized and real-time prediction of OSA episode onsets. Previous attempts at OSA prediction are limited to capturing the nonlinear, nonstationary d...

BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is more common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). Recently, an additional association between central sleep apnea/Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSA/CSR) and AFib has been described. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and type of sleep-disordered breathing in patients with AFib and normal systolic left ventricular function. M...

INTRODUCTION The sympathetic activation is considered to be the main mechanism involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The heart rate variability (HRV) analysis represents a non-invasive tool allowing the study of the autonomic nervous system. The impairment of HRV parameters in OSA has been documented. However, only a few studies tackled the dyn...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common among men with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with reports of prevalence varying from 30 – 50 percent. The mechanism is unknown. Since chronic hypoxia is known to cause peripheral neuropathies, it is logical to question whether ED in OSA might reflect peripheral neuropathy resulting from the intermittent nocturnal hypoxia concomitant with OSA. Two recent studi...

PURPOSE To describe the SpO2 in wakefulness, sleep and during the apnea-hypopnea in adults living in Bogotá, located at 2640 m above sea level. METHODS Descriptive observational study in adults referred for polysomnogram (PSG). A normal Apnea hypopnea index (AHI) was defined as ≤5 and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was classified as mild (AHI 5-15), moderate (AHI 15-30), and severe (AHI >30). ...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs commonly in the U.S. population and is seen in both obese as well as non-obese individuals. OSA is a disease characterized by periodic upper airway collapse during sleep, which then results in either apnea, hypopnea, or both. The disorder leads to a variety of medical complications. Neuropsychiatric complications include daytime somnolence, cognitive dysfunc...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined as episodic apnea, or cessation of breathing, during sleep, in which the period of apnea should last for more than 10 seconds. It is usually due to partial or complete collapse of the upper airway and is associated with snoring, restlessness, daytime headache and somnolence. The diagnosis relies on history and requires polysomnography for confirmation. S...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article explains the high comorbidity of craniofacial pain (chronic face pain, temporomandibular disorders, and primary headaches) with obstructive sleep breathing disorders and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It is recommended that physicians treating OSA should be aware of the concurrent chronic pain that affects the quality of sleep, and also dentists treating chronic p...