RECOGNITION AND CONSEQUENCES OF OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP-APNEA HYPOPNEA SYNDROME

There is a growing recognition of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patient groups and in the general population. This article reviews iss ues related to recognizing the disorder, including the problems of rel ying on narrowly defined polysomnographic data for case findings and f or assessment of disease severity. The distributions of symptoms and p hysiologic measurements of SDB in the population and their inter-relat ionships are reviewed. The epidemiological data that address risk fact ors and consequences of sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) also are discussed, with recommendations regarding recognition priorities.