title: Evolution of mild obstructive sleep apnea after different treatments.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prognosis of mild obstructive sleep apnea in relation to different treatment modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  An open, retrospective, longitudinal follow-up study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty adult patients diagnosed and treated for mild obstructive sleep apnea at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Kuopio University Hospital between 1998 and 2004 had a control polysomnography in 2005. The changes in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) were observed in untreated (n = 28), operative (n = 11), and continuous positive airway pressure (n = 11) treatment groups at a long-term follow-up visit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period was 4 (range, 1.3-9.0; SD, 1.9) years. The untreated patients had a statistically significant increase in AHI (13.3, SD 18.3) at the follow-up. Half of these patients developed a moderate or severe degree of sleep apnea, and only 11% were cured. In patients who were treated with continuous positive airway pressure, the degree of obstructive sleep apnea became worse in 64% of cases, and in 27% of patients, the AHI returned to normal (<5). The degree of obstructive sleep apnea in operated patients deteriorated only in 18%, and in 27% of the patients, the AHI returned to normal (<5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild obstructive sleep apnea has a natural tendency to worsen with time. Active treatment of mild obstructive sleep apnea appears, therefore, to be advisable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Kuopio University Hospital and University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland. johanna.sahlman@fimmet.fi
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sahlman
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pukkila
authors.forename: Juha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seppä
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tuomilehto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D045422:Continuous Positive Airway Pressure / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000601:surgery; D010160:Palate, Soft / Q000601:surgery; D010614:Pharynx / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014068:Tonsillectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014609:Uvula / Q000601:surgery