Update on Reversibility of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Consequences

Abstract

Many medical conditions have been reported to be consequences of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. Some reports discuss the reversibility of those conditions just by overcoming the OSA, usually by the patients’ adherence to continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) therapy used during sleep. This article updates a previously reported tabulated list of OSA consequences, now including thirty-one OSA consequences in adults, based on a review of the literature. The OSA consequences are categorized according to whether they have been reported to be reversible (at least partially) just by overcoming the OSA, not reversible, or their reversibility has not yet been reported. There are life-threatening conditions in each category, and the conditions cover a wide range of medical specializations. This updated list could be beneficial to many medical practitioners to support their diagnosis and treatment of OSA’s consequences, and of OSA itself. This approach is a back-up for the better practice of routine screening for sleep apnea, leading to its diagnostic testing and treatment when warranted, with the aim of greatly reducing the risk for development of these OSA consequences.