Obstructive Sleep Apnea: From Simple Upper Airway Obstruction to Systemic Inflammation

Abstract

Ahmad Bahammam From the University Sleep Disorders Center, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Correspondence: Prof. Ahmad Bahammam · Professor of Medicine, Director, University Sleep Disorders Center, College of Medicine, Department of MEdicine, King Saud University PO Box 225503, Riyadh 11324, Saudi Arabia · T: 966-1-467-9179 F: 966-1-467-9495 · ; Email: ashammam2@gmail.com Accepted November 2010. Copyright © Annals of Saudi Medicine This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Probably, the most important advance in the history of sleep medicine was the discovery of sleep apnea in 1965. For years, specialists looked into obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as a simple, intermittent closure of the upper airway; hence, early treatments focused mainly on eliminating airway obstruction. Prior to the 1980s, the only effective treatment for OSA was tracheostomy, which bypasses the upper airway obstruction. The introduction of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy through a nasal mask in 1981 marked another important discovery that fueled interest in sleep medicine practice and research. Since that time, our understanding of the features and consequences of OSA has progressed significantly, and it is now recognized as a major health issue. OSA is a common problem affecting 24% of middle-aged males and 9% of middle-aged females. In Saudi Arabia, three of ten Saudi middle-aged men and four of ten Saudi middle-aged women are at a high risk of OSA.