The spectrum of sleep-disordered breathing.
The term sleep-disordered breathing has been used synonymously with the term obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). In a broader sense, however, the disorders of breathing during sleep exist along a spectrum of severity. The mildest form of sleep-related breathing disorder is intermittent snoring, which is primarily a nuisance without significant health sequelae. The most severe form of disordered breathing is the obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, which is associated with severe morbidity and very high mortality. In between these two extremes are disorders of gradually increasing impact on morbidity and mortality: persistent snoring, upper airway resistance syndrome, and OSAS.
Adult and Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-00847, USA.
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D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012913:Snoring