Pharmacotherapy for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a form of sleep-disordered breathing that is characterized by frequent episodes of snoring and a cessation in breathing for greater than 10 seconds, resulting in disrupted sleep. It has an estimated prevalence of 3% to 7% in males, 2% to 5% in females, and up to 78% in morbidly obese patients. OSA results from decreased motor tone of either the tongue or airway dilator muscles, causing complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. Patients with OSA frequently suffer from daytime sleepiness and reduced quality of life, as well as cardiac, metabolic, and psychiatric disorders. OSA affects people of all ages and is most prominent in middle-aged obese males, with a higher incidence as age increases. Obesity is the primary risk factor and contributes to the other disorders commonly diagnosed in this population.
Abstract and Introduction
Introduction
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a form of sleep-disordered breathing that is characterized by frequent episodes of snoring and a cessation in breathing for greater than 10 seconds, resulting in disrupted sleep. It has an estimated prevalence of 3% to 7% in males, 2% to 5% in females, and up to 78% in morbidly obese patients. OSA results from decreased motor tone of either the tongue or airway dilator muscles, causing complete or partial obstruction of the upper airway during sleep. Patients with OSA frequently suffer from daytime sleepiness and reduced quality of life, as well as cardiac, metabolic, and psychiatric disorders. OSA affects people of all ages and is most prominent in middle-aged obese males, with a higher incidence as age increases. Obesity is the primary risk factor and contributes to the other disorders commonly diagnosed in this population.
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