Sleep apnea natural history, complications and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kashish Goel, M.D.

Natural History

• Sleep apnea is a progressive disease that evolves from snoring
• Heavy snoring moves towards intermittent apneas predominantly in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep

Complications

Complications that can develop as a result of sleep apnea are:

• Daytime sleepiness
• Depression
• Hypertension
• Coronary artery disease
• Stroke
• CHF
• Atrial fibrillation
• Complications with surgery
• Complications with anesthesia and other medications
• Headaches
• Impotence
• Sleep-deprived partners
• Failure to thrive in small children
• Attention deficits and hyperactivity in children

Prognosis

• The prognosis for patients is very good if properly treated and managed
• Obstructive sleep apnea can be a serious, life-threatening condition if left untreated

• The repeated stops and starts in breathing throughout the sleep period elevates blood pressure and causes stress on the heart

• Poor prognostic factors in central sleep apnea include:

• Alterations in neuromuscular control of breathing
• Drug usage for mental health conditions
• Long-acting opioid medications