Синдром обструктивного апное уві сні (СОАС)

ЗаKingman P. Strohl, MD, Case School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University
Переглянуто/перевірено жовт. 2022

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) consists of multiple episodes of partial or complete closure of the upper airway that occur during sleep and lead to breathing cessation (defined as a period of apnea or hypopnea > 10 seconds) followed by arousals and hyperpnea. Symptoms can include excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness, snoring, recurrent awakening, and morning headache. Diagnosis is based on sleep history and polysomnography. Treatment is with nasal continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances, and, in refractory cases, surgery. Prognosis is good with treatment. Untreated patients are at risk for hypertension, atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias, heart failure, and injury or death due to motor vehicle crashes and other accidents resulting from hypersomnolence.

(See also Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children.)

Клінічний калькулятор

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common, and the prevalence is increasing with the increased prevalence of obesity. An estimated 1 billion people are affected worldwide (1), most of whom are undiagnosed and untreated. Some degree of OSA with symptoms is present in 8 to 16% of adults. OSA is up to 4 times more common among men (2) and 7 times more common among people with obesity (ie, body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30).

Manifestations, treatment, and prognosis vary with gender and age (2, 3).

Загальні джерела літератури

  1. 1. Gottlieb DJ, Punjabi NM: Diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea: A review. JAMA 323(14):1389-1400, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.3514

  2. 2. Bonsignore MR, Saaresranta T, Riha RL: Sex differences in obstructive sleep apnoea. Eur Respir Rev 28(154):190030, 2019. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0030-2019

  3. 3. Braley TJ, Dunietz GL, Chervin RD, et al: Recognition and diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in older Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc 66(7):1296-1302, 2018. doi:10.1111/jgs.15372

Pathophysiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Obstructive sleep apnea involves a compromise in upper airway anatomy during sleep. Sleep destabilizes patency of the upper airway, leading to partial or complete obstruction of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, or both. Airway patency tends to oscillate causing recurrent periods of apnea and recovery.

Obstruction causes multiple episodes of apnea or hypopnea, which lead to hypoxia and hypercapnia, all of which disrupt normal sleep, with partial or complete arousals from nonrapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep (1). Inspiratory efforts against a closed upper airway cause swings in intrathoracic pressure that affect cardiac performance. Endothelial and neurotransmitter dysfunction occur. All factors interact to produce significant morbidity and mortality.

Споріднені захворювання

Less severe forms may not produce oxygen desaturation, but they interrupt sleep.

Obstructive sleep hypopnea is a condition in which inspiratory flow is diminished, but not absent, in a high resistance airway.

Upper airway resistance syndrome is crescendo snoring terminated by snorts and respiratory effort-related arousals (RERAs). Breathing reductions do not meet strict criteria for obstructive apneas and hypopneas. Patients with upper airway resistance syndrome are typically younger and have less obesity than those with OSA. Patients are more often female, report fatigue, and complain of insomnia. Snoring and upper airway airflow resistance cause noisy inspiration but without arousals from sleep lasting > 2 seconds. Symptoms, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment of snoring and upper airway resistance syndrome are similar to those of OSA.

Ускладнення

Obstructive sleep apnea is the leading medical cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. A more correct term is wake-time excessive sleepiness, because people who work during the night may be excessively sleepy during night hours. The excessive sleepiness actively increases risk of automobile crashes, difficulties at work, and sexual dysfunction. There is often some degree of cognitive impairment and also increased risk of injury (eg, when operating heavy machinery or engaging in other activities during which unintentional sleep episodes would be hazardous). Relationships with bed partners, roommates, and/or housemates may also be adversely affected because such people may have difficulty sleeping because of the patient's noisy, restless sleep. Severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index > 30 per hour) increases the risk of death in middle-aged men.

OSA also has medical risks unrelated to excessive sleepiness. Hypertension is strongly associated with OSA (2). Normotensive patients with untreated OSA are more likely to develop hypertension within 5 years of diagnosis. Repetitive nocturnal hypoxia and sleep disruption are associated with increased risk of medical disorders, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation (even after catheter ablation) and other arrhythmias, nonalcoholic fatty liver, and stroke (3). The risk of stroke and all-cause mortality is increased even when controlling for other risk factors (eg, hypertension, diabetes) (4). However, the contribution of OSA to these common disorders (and thus its cost to society) is often underappreciated (5).

In addition, perioperative complications, including cardiac arrest, occur with unrecognized OSA, because moderate and general anesthesia is a risk for airway obstruction. Patients should inform an anesthesiologist of the diagnosis before undergoing any surgery and should receive continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) when they receive preoperative drugs and during recovery.

Довідкові матеріали щодо патофізіології

  1. 1. Zinchuk AV, Gentry M , Concato J, et al: Phenotypes in obstructive sleep apnea: A definition, examples and evolution of approaches. Sleep Med Rev 35:113-123, 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2016.10.002

  2. 2. Van Ryswyk E, Mukherjee S, Chai-Coetzer CL, et al: Sleep disorders, including sleep apnea and hypertension. Am J Hypertens 31(8):857-864, 2018. doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpy082

  3. 3. Zinchuk AV, Jeon S, Koo BB, et al: Polysomnographic phenotypes and their cardiovascular implications in obstructive sleep apnoea. Thorax 73(5):472–480, 2018. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210431

  4. 4. Yaggi HK, Concato J, Kernan WN, et al: Obstructive sleep apnea as a risk factor for stroke and death. N Engl J Med 353(19):2034-2041, 2005. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa043104

  5. 5. Borsoi L, Armeni P, Donin G, et al: The invisible costs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): Systematic review and cost-of-illness analysis. PLoS One 17(5):e0268677, 2022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268677

Etiology of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Anatomic risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea include

  • An oropharynx “crowded” by a short or retracted mandible

  • A prominent tongue base or tonsils

  • A rounded head shape and a short neck

  • A neck circumference > 43 cm (> 17 in)

  • Thick lateral pharyngeal walls and parapharyngeal fat pads

Such risk factors may not predict severity.

Other identified risk factors include postmenopausal status, aging, obesity, and alcohol or sedative use (1). Medical disorders that can cause or contribute to OSA include nocturnal gastroesophageal reflux, acromegaly, hypothyroidism, and prior stroke. Nocturnal angina confers a 15-fold increased risk for OSA. OSA and obesity-hypoventilation syndrome frequently coexist.

A family history of OSA is present in 25 to 40% of adult cases, reflective of polygenic risks affecting ventilatory drive or anatomy; genetic risks may vary by ethnicity (2). Likelihood of OSA in a given family member is proportional to the number of other affected family members.

Довідкові матеріали щодо етіології

  1. 1. Patel SR: Obstructive sleep apnea. Ann Intern Med 171(11):ITC81-ITC96, 2019. doi: 10.7326/AITC201912030

  2. 2. Yi M, Tan Y, Pi Y, et al: Variants of candidate genes associated with the risk of obstructive sleep apnea. Eur J Clin Invest 52(1):e13673, 2022. doi: 10.1111/eci.13673

Symptoms and Signs of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Although loud disruptive snoring is reported by 85% of patients with obstructive sleep apnea, most people who snore do not have OSA. Other symptoms of OSA (1, 2) may include

  • Choking, gasping, or snorting during sleep

  • Restless and unrefreshing sleep

  • Difficulty staying asleep

Most patients are asleep and are unaware of these symptoms until informed by bed partners, roommates, or housemates. In the morning, some patients have a sore throat, dry mouth, or headache.

During daily activities, patients may experience intrusive sleepiness, fatigue, and impaired concentration. The frequency of sleep complaints and the degree of daytime sleepiness do not correlate well with number of events or arousals from sleep. However, those with sleepiness are at greater risk of cardiovascular complications. Not all patients are sleepy.

Physical examination may show signs of nasal obstruction, tonsillar hypertrophy, and abnormalities of pharyngeal structure. Anatomic risk factors for OSA should be noted.

Довідкові матеріали щодо симптомів та ознак

  1. 1. Lee JJ, Sundar KM: Evaluation and management of adults with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Lung 199(2):87-101, 2021. doi: 10.1007/s00408-021-00426-w

  2. 2. Strohl KP, Redline S. Recognition of obstructive sleep apnea. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 154(2 Pt 1):279-89, 1996. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm.154.2.8756795. PMID: 8756795.

Diagnosis of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

  • Suspected by clinical evaluation

  • Confirmation by sleep studies

The diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea is suspected in patients with identifiable risk factors, symptoms, or both.

In addition to the patient, bed partners, roommates, and/or housemates are all sources for risk assessment information. Snoring loudly enough to be heard in the next room confers a 10-fold increase in the likelihood of having an apnea-hypopnea index > 5 per hour.

At-risk patients who might need more detailed evaluation include those who

  • Are about age 65 or older

  • Report daytime fatigue, sleepiness, or difficulty staying asleep

  • Are overweight

  • Have poorly controlled hypertension (which may be caused or exacerbated by OSA), atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias, heart failure (which may cause or coexist with OSA [1]), stroke, or diabetes

Questionnaires, such as STOP-Bang, Berlin Questionnaire (BQ), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), can be used by nonspecialists to assess risk. However, when compared to the more accurate results of sleep studies, these questionnaires have low specificity and high false-positive rates and should not be used to make a diagnosis or to direct therapy. The multimodal STOP-Bang and the BQ are more specific than the ESS for risk of OSA and have good negative predictive value (2).

Клінічний калькулятор

Accountable care organizations and medical insurance companies have a symptomless risk score to estimate likelihood of disease, but the score lacks specificity at the individual patient level (3). (See also Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Accountable Care Organizations.) Multivariate analyses of symptoms, comorbidities, and testing results are now suggesting ways to individualize management and help calculate individual risk if sleep apnea is untreated (4).

Research is beginning on using artificial intelligence to analyze clinical history together with physiologic inputs from wearable devices to suggest disease probability (5). This technology could be educationally valuable and beneficial, given the prevalence of poor sleep, snoring, and sleep apnea, and the consequences of untreated disease. However, diagnosis and treatment should be based on symptoms.

Patients whose symptoms, screening questionnaires, and/or risk factors suggest a higher likelihood of OSA should typically have sleep monitoring to determine the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or some surrogate like Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI), which is needed to confirm the syndrome and grade severity. Patients who report only snoring, without other symptoms or cardiovascular risks, do not need an extensive evaluation for OSA, and can respond by increasing fitness, losing weight, improving sleep hygiene, and treating nasal allergies.

The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) represents the total number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea occurring during sleep divided by the hours of sleep time; it is expressed as the number of apneic episodes occurring per hour. The more events that occur, the more severe the OSA and the greater the likelihood of adverse effects. AHI values can be computed for different sleep stages and body positions (side or back).

Criteria for diagnosis of OSA include daytime symptoms, nighttime symptoms, and sleep monitoring results that show an AHI ≥ 5 per hour in patients with symptoms, or ≥ 15 per hour in the absence of symptoms. Symptoms should include ≥ 1 of the following:

  • Unrefreshing sleep

  • Daytime sleepiness*, fatigue

  • Unintentional sleep episodes

  • Difficulty staying asleep

  • Awakening with breath holding, gasping, or choking

  • Reports by a bed partner of loud snoring, breathing interruptions, or both

*Sleepiness that is active (ie, intrusive into daily activities or producing crashes or errors) is particularly significant.

The differential diagnosis includes many other conditions and factors that reduce the quantity or quality of sleep or cause daytime sedation or sleepiness. These include

  • Other sleep disorders: Poor sleep hygiene, narcolepsy and other hypersomnolence disorders, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder

  • Drug and substance use: Alcohol, sedatives, numerous therapeutic and recreational drugs

  • Medical disorders: Cardiovascular, respiratory, and metabolic disorders (eg, hypothyroidism)

  • Depression (which often accompanies as well as contributes to disordered sleep)

History and physical examination (including sleep history) should seek evidence of these conditions, including identification of clinical features of hypothyroidism and acromegaly.

Measurement of thyroid-stimulating hormone can be useful in those in whom hypothyroidism is clinically suspected but should not be done routinely. No other adjunctive testing (eg, upper airway imaging, facial photographs, biomarkers like cancer-related fatigue) has sufficient specificity to be recommended routinely.

Дослідження сну

Sleep studies include

  • Traditional polysomnography conducted in a sleep laboratory

  • Portable diagnostic tools that can be used by patients at home in their own bed

Polysomnography records and helps classify stages of sleep and the occurrence and duration of apneic and hypopneic periods. It is ideal for confirming the diagnosis of OSA and quantifying the severity of OSA. However, it requires an overnight stay in a sleep laboratory and is thus complicated and expensive. Polysomnography typically includes

  • Continuous measurement of sleep architecture by EEG (electroencephalography)

  • Chin electromyography to detect hypotonia

  • Electro-oculography to assess the occurrence of rapid eye movements.

  • Airflow sensors at the nose and mouth to detect apneas and hypopneas

  • Chest and/or abdominal sensors to detect respiratory effort

  • Oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry

  • ECG monitoring to detect arrhythmias associated with apneic episodes

The patient is also observed by video.

Other variables evaluated include limb muscle activity (to assess nonrespiratory causes of sleep arousal, such as restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movements disorder) and body position, because apnea may occur predominantly in the supine position.

The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) is the total number of episodes of apnea and hypopnea occurring during sleep divided by the hours of sleep time. It is a common measure of respiratory disturbance during sleep and is used to classify the severity of OSA. Note the AHI alone does not determine need for treatment.

OSA is graded as:

  • Mild: AHI ≥ 5 and < 15 per hour

  • Moderate: AHI ≥ 15 and ≤ 30 per hour

  • Severe: AHI > 30 per hour

Some patients may have a very high AHI (> 60).

The respiratory disturbance index (RDI) is a related measure that includes the number of arousals related to respiratory effort (called respiratory effort-related arousals or RERAs) plus the number of apnea and hypopnea episodes per hour of sleep.

The arousal index, which is the number of arousals per hour of sleep, can be computed if EEG monitoring is used. The arousal index is loosely correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index and respiratory disturbance index; about 20% of apneas and desaturation episodes are not accompanied by arousals, or other causes of arousals are present.

However, the apnea-hypopnea index, arousal index, and respiratory disturbance index are only moderately associated with a patient’s symptoms. Some patients with a high or extremely high AHI (eg, > 60) have few or no symptoms. Additional metrics and combinations of metrics may prove useful in diagnosis (6). Furthermore, studies now show that it is a composite of clinical and polysomnographic data (not just AHI) that are linked to outcome and to cardiovascular risk and mortality, for instance, sleepiness regardless of AHI is linked to excess cardiovascular disease.

Home sleep testing using portable diagnostic tools uses a limited subset of polysomnographic measures, typically just heart rate, pulse oximetry, respiratory effort, position, and nasal airflow to detect apnea and estimate its severity. Their role is expanding (7) because of their convenience and decreased cost and their ability to provide a reasonably accurate estimate of respiratory disturbances during sleep.

However, portable tools have some limitations. They do not actually detect the presence of sleep and instead depend on patients to self-report sleeping, which can be inaccurate; if patients were not sleeping during part of the study and they did not report this, sleep-disordered breathing will be underestimated. Also, coexisting sleep disorders (eg, restless legs syndrome, seizures, REM behavior disorder, confusional arousals) are not detected. Follow-up polysomnography may still be needed to characterize these disorders as well as to accurately provide AHI and RDI values in the different stages of sleep and with changes in position, especially when surgery or therapy other than positive airway pressure is being considered.

Portable tools are often used in combination with questionnaires (eg, STOP-Bang, Berlin Questionnaire). If questionnaire results indicate a higher pre-test probability of disease, the sensitivity and specificity of the portable tools is higher.

Довідкові матеріали щодо діагностики

  1. 1. Gupta A, Quan SF, Oldenburg O, et al: Sleep-disordered breathing in hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure: a concise review and proposed algorithm. Heart Fail Rev 23(5):701-709, 2018. doi:10.1007/s10741-018-9715-y

  2. 2. Gamaldo C, Buenaver L, Chernyshev O, et al: Evaluation of clinical tools to screen and assess for obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 14(7):1239-1244, 2018. doi:10.5664/jcsm.7232

  3. 3. Keenan BT, Kirchner HL, Veatch OJ, et al: Multisite validation of a simple electronic health record algorithm for identifying diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. J Clin Sleep Med 16(2):175–183, 2020. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.8160

  4. 4. Keenan BT, Kim J, Singh B, et al: Recognizable clinical subtypes of obstructive sleep apnea across international sleep centers: a cluster analysis. Sleep 41(3):zsx214, 2018. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsx214

  5. 5. Lovejoy CA, Abbas AR, Ratneswaran D: An introduction to artificial intelligence in sleep medicine. J Thorac Dis 13(10):6095-6098, 2021. doi:10.21037/jtd-21-1569

  6. 6. Malhotra A, Ayappa I, Ayas N, et al: Metrics of sleep apnea severity: beyond the apnea-hypopnea index. Sleep 44(7):zsab030, 2021. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab030

  7. 7. Collop NA, Anderson WM, Boehlecke B, et al: Clinical guidelines for the use of unattended portable monitors in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea in adult patients. J Clin Sleep Med 3(7):737-47, 2007.

Prognosis for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Prognosis for obstructive sleep apnea is excellent provided treatment is instituted, accepted, and effective. Untreated or unrecognized OSA is accompanied by a lower quality of life, and increased risk of hypertension and injuries from falling asleep while engaging in potentially hazardous activities. Treated OSA is accompanied by better sleep, daytime alertness, and quality of life.

Treatment of OSA results in a modest 2 to 3 mm Hg decrease in blood pressure (1), with larger effects in those with resistant hypertension. There may be reduced prevalence of stroke and a shallower decline in renal function. Treatment may lessen excessive daytime sleepiness and its attendant consequences and can decrease snoring and restless sleep. However, there is no strong evidence yet that treatment reduces heart failure or arrhythmias, but it may make these conditions easier to manage. Mortality effects are mixed in controlled trials of CPAP, generally attributed to the poor (about 50%) adherence in the treated groups.

Although the associations between hypertension, short sleep duration, insomnia, restless legs syndrome (RLS) diabetes, etc, and OSA are identified by multiple studies, their causative role is not proven.

Довідковий матеріал щодо прогнозу

  1. 1. Bratton DJ, Gaisl T, Wons AM, et al: CPAP vs mandibular advancement devices and blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 314(21):2280-2293, 2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.16303

Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

  • Control of risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and sedative use

  • Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or oral appliances

  • Sometimes surgery, or nerve stimulation

An apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥ 5 per hour defines a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea; treatment is given only to patients who have symptoms (sleepiness with fatigue, nonrestorative sleep, and snoring/gasping/choking). An AHI value ≥ 15 indicates at least a moderate level of sleep apnea and is considered a threshold to treat in the absence of symptoms.

Pending treatment, sleepy patients should be warned of the risks of driving, operating heavy machinery, or engaging in other activities during which unintentional sleep would be hazardous.

The aims of treatment (1) are to

  • Reduce episodes of hypoxia and sleep fragmentation

  • Restore sleep continuity and architecture

  • Avoid episodic asphyxia

There are many available approaches to treatment. Patient and clinician should engage in shared decision making to match the degree and nature of the disorder with feasible interventions and the outcomes most important to the patient.

Treatment is directed at both risk factors and OSA itself. First-line direct therapy includes use of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device or an oral appliance. For anatomic encroachment or for disease that does not respond to these devices, surgery or nerve stimulation is considered. Success is defined as a resolution of symptoms with AHI reduction, usually to < 10 per hour and ideally to < 5 per hour.

Контроль факторів ризику

Initial treatment aims to control risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, alcohol use, and sedative use. Exercise decreases the AHI and increases alertness, independent of any effect on body mass index (BMI).

Daytime sleepiness can be reduced by good sleep hygiene measures, including sleeping longer and discontinuing sedative drugs, particularly antihistamines or antidepressants.

Modest weight loss (≥ 15%) may result in clinically meaningful improvement (2, 3) but should not be considered curative for OSA. However, weight loss is extremely difficult for most people, especially those who are fatigued or sleepy. Bariatric surgery, however performed, is an option that frequently reverses symptoms and improves AHI in 85% of OSA patients with severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40); however, the degree of improvement may not be as great as the degree of weight loss.

Постійний позитивний тиск у дихальних шляхах (continuous positive airway pressure, CPAP)

CPAP is the treatment of choice for most patients with OSA and subjective daytime sleepiness, including those in whom it causes cognitive impairment (4, 5). There are reports of racial and socioeconomic bias in making this treatment available.

There are many different CPAP devices available, including those that cover the nose, nose and mouth, or the whole face. All have cushions to provide an air seal, which is essential for maintaining a pressure gradient. Cushions may be inflatable or made of silicone, foam, or gel. Proper fit and comfort vary widely among patients but must be optimized for both efficacy and adherence.

CPAP improves upper airway patency by applying positive pressure to the collapsible upper airway segment. Effective pressures typically range from 3 to 15 cm H2O. Pressure requirements are not correlated with disease severity. Many CPAP devices monitor CPAP efficacy and titrate pressures automatically, according to internal algorithms. If necessary, polysomnographic monitoring can be used to guide manual titration of pressure.

Although a reduction in AHI is one of the treatment goals, CPAP will reduce cognitive impairment and improve quality of life regardless of improvement in the AHI. CPAP also may reduce blood pressure. If CPAP is withdrawn, symptoms recur over several days, though short interruptions of therapy for acute medical conditions are usually well tolerated. Duration of therapy is indefinite.

If clinical improvement is not apparent, CPAP adherence should be reviewed, and patients should be reassessed for a second sleep disorder (eg, upper airway obstruction) or a comorbid disorder. If patients have septal deviation or polyps, nasal surgery may make CPAP treatment more successful but inconsistently “treats” OSA.

Adverse effects of nasal CPAP include discomfort resulting from a poorly fitting mask, and dryness and nasal irritation, which can be alleviated in some cases with the use of warm humidified air. However, newer mask designs have improved comfort and ease of use.

Adherence is difficult for many people and is lower in patients who do not experience sleepiness. Overall, about 50% of patients adhere to use of CPAP long term. Adherence can be improved by efforts to foster a positive attitude towards device use combined with early attention to any problems, particularly mask fit, and close follow-up by a committed caretaker, with reinforcement by the primary care physician. There is also a need to recognize and address the decreased long-term CPAP adherence among patients who do not have obesity and have low respiratory arousal threshold (ie, awaken easily) and thus a propensity for increased arousals and irregular breathing.

Even when adherence is adequate, results may become unsatisfactory if patient factors change (eg, weight gain, nasal obstruction develops).

CPAP can be augmented with inspiratory assistance (bilevel positive airway pressure) to increase tidal volume in patients with comorbid obesity-hypoventilation syndrome.

Оральні апарати

Oral appliances are designed to advance the mandible or, at the very least, prevent retrusion and tongue prolapse during sleep (6,7, 8). Some appliances are designed to pull the tongue forward. These appliances are now considered mainstream treatments of both snoring and mild to moderate OSA. Comparisons of appliances to CPAP show equivalent effectiveness in mild to moderate OSA, but cost-effectiveness studies are focused on fixed initial costs of fabrication, rather than replacement and follow-up costs.

Хірургічне втручання

Surgical procedures to correct anatomic factors, such as enlarged tonsils and nasal polyps contributing to upper airway obstruction (called anatomic procedures), should be considered (8, 9). Surgery for macroglossia or micrognathia is also an option. Surgery is a first-line treatment if specific anatomic encroachment is identified. However, in the absence of encroachment, evidence to support surgery as a first-line treatment is lacking.

Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) was previously the most common procedure. It involves resection of pharyngeal tissue. UPPP has been largely replaced by less aggressive approaches that attempt to stabilize the lateral walls of the pharynx and/or enlarge the velopharyngeal area without risk of altering speech or swallowing. Equivalence with CPAP was shown in one study using CPAP as a bridge to surgery, but the interventions have not been directly compared. Results are less predictable in patients who have severe obesity or anatomic narrowing of the airway. The procedure may reduce intrusive snoring, although apneic episodes may remain as severe (although silent) as before surgical intervention.

Other surgical procedures include midline glossectomy, hyoid advancement, and mandibulomaxillary advancement. Mandibulomaxillary advancement is sometimes offered as a 2nd-stage procedure if soft tissue approaches are not curative. The optimal multistage approach is not known.

Tracheostomy is the most effective therapeutic maneuver for OSA but is done as a last resort. It bypasses the site of obstruction and is indicated for patients most severely affected (eg, those with cor pulmonale).

Стимуляція верхніх дихальних шляхів

Upper airway stimulation using an implanted device to stimulate a branch of the hypoglossal nerve (10, 11) can activate muscles that protrude the tongue and other muscles that help open the airway. This therapy is now mainstream, being successful in selected patients with moderate to severe disease. It is used mainly in those who are unable to tolerate CPAP therapy and in whom oral appliances are ineffective. The procedure may also be tried in those in whom mandibulomaxillary advancement is contemplated. Improvements in AHI to < 10 per hour occur in about 65% of these selected patients, but symptoms may improve without achieving efficacy in an AHI < 20 per hour.

Додаткові методи лікування

Various adjunctive treatments are sometimes used but have no proven benefit for OSA.

Supplemental oxygen improves blood oxygenation and may reduce AHI and arousal index among patients who did not respond to upper airway surgery (12), but a beneficial clinical effect is mainly in those with high gain (tendency to have repeated apnea or hypopnea after an initial episode) and effects are hard to predict. Also, oxygen may provoke respiratory acidosis and morning headache.

Alerting drugs (eg, modafinil, solriamfetol) may be used to counteract excessive sleepiness that occurs with OSA or in the 20% of treated patients who have residual sleepiness (13, 14, 15).

A number of other drugs have been tried, including tricyclic antidepressants, theophylline, dronabinol, combined atomoxetine plus oxybutynin (16), but cannot be recommended because of factors including limited experience, a low therapeutic index, lack of replication of results, and lack of adequate trials. Better methods to recognize sleep apnea subtypes may allow better selection of patients for this line of treatment.

Exercises for upper airway muscles (myofunctional therapy) have been proposed on the theory that improved muscle strength and tone might help improve airway patency during sleep (17). There are a number of exercises that seem to reduce AHI and symptoms, making this approach interesting, particularly because it is noninvasive and with no adverse effects. However, this approach is not yet a mainstream recommendation, because of the wide variety of techniques proposed and the uncertainly about their mechanism of action and efficacy, combined with the great practical difficulties with adherence.

Nasal dilatory devices and throat sprays sold over-the-counter for snoring have not been studied sufficiently to prove value in OSA.

Laser-assisted uvuloplasty, uvular splints, and radiofrequency tissue ablation have been used to treat snoring in patients without OSA. Although they may transiently decrease snoring loudness, efficacy in treating OSA is neither predictable nor durable.

Навчання та підтримка пацієнтів

An informed patient and family are better able to cope with an OSA treatment strategy, including tracheostomy. Patient support groups provide helpful information and effectively support timely treatment and follow-up. There is now organized investigation on the role of patient support groups and digital support tools for management (18).

Довідкові матеріали щодо лікування

  1. 1. Strohl KP, Cherniack NS, Gothe B: Physiologic basis of therapy for sleep apnea. Am Rev Respir Dis 134(4):791-802, 1986. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1986.134.4.791

  2. 2. Joosten SA, Hamilton GS, Naughton MT: Impact of weight loss management in OSA. Chest 152(1):194-203, 2017. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2017.01.027

  3. 3. Kuna ST, Reboussin DM, Strotmeyer ES, et al: Effects of weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea severity. Ten-year results of the Sleep AHEAD study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 203(2):221-229, 2021. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201912-2511OC

  4. 4. Labarca G, Saavedra D, Dreyse J, et al: Efficacy of CPAP for improvements in sleepiness, cognition, mood, and quality of life in elderly patients with OSA: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Chest 158(2):751-764, 2020. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.049

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  6. 6. Ng JH, Yow M: Oral appliances in the management of obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Med Clin 14(1):109-118, 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2018.10.012

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Ключові моменти

  • Obesity, anatomic abnormalities in the upper airway passages, family history, certain disorders (eg, hypothyroidism, stroke), and use of alcohol or sedatives increase the risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

  • Patients typically snore, have restless and unrefreshing sleep, and often feel daytime sleepiness and fatigue.

  • Most people who snore do not have OSA.

  • Disorders that occur more commonly in patients with OSA include hypertension, stroke, diabetes, gastroesophageal reflux disease, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, nocturnal angina, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias.

  • Confirm the diagnosis by polysomnography or, if uncomplicated OSA, home sleep testing.

  • Control modifiable risk factors and treat most patients with continuous positive airway pressure and/or oral appliances designed to open the airway.

  • Consider surgery for abnormalities causing airway encroachment or if the disorder is intractable.

Додаткова інформація

The following English-language resources may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of these resources.

  1. Lee JJ, Sundar KM: Evaluation and management of adults with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Lung 199(2):87-101, 2021. doi: 10.1007/s00408-021-00426-w

  1. STOP-Bang Questionnaire: General information about sleep apnea and information about the STOP-Bang tool

  2. American Thoracic Society: What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults?: Two page OSA summary for patients that includes action steps

  3. American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Detailed patient information explaining the importance of healthy sleep and treatment options for sleep disorders