Problems

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an important independent risk factor for serious neuro-cognitive, endocrine, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in all age groups:

• psychosocial problems - related to excessive day-time sleepiness
  • decreased cognitive function
  • reduced concentration, in particular car driving, but also any other activity requiring attention
    • it associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents (2)
  • depression
  • loss of both libido and erectile ability
  • there have been reports of reduced IQ, memory, and learning skills in sufferers of childhood OSA
• cardiovascular
  • hypertension
    • community based studies have shown that OSA is common in patients with hypertension that is difficult to treat
  • brady- and tachyarrhythmias
• endocrine
  • impaired glucose tolerance
  • dyslipidaemia
  • poly-cystic ovarian syndrome and hypothyroidism – in females with OSA
• hypoxia - but hard to estimate hidden mortality of people not presenting. There is likely to be some effect of dropping the PO2 to 2kPa throughout the night on established ischaemic conditions (1,2).

Reference:

• (1) Greenstone M, Hack M. Obstructive sleep apnoea. BMJ. 2014;348:g3745
• (2) Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) 2003. Management of obstructive sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome in adults