Recognition and consequences of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome

There is a growing recognition of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in patie nt groups and in the general population. This article reviews issues relate d to recognizing the disorder, including the problems of relying on narrowl y defined polysomnographic data for case findings and for assessment of dis ease severity. The distributions of symptoms and physiologic measurements o f SDB in the population and their inter-relationships are reviewed. The epi demiological data that address risk factors and consequences of sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (SAHS) also are discussed, with recommendations regardin g recognition priorities.