Relationship Of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Research Articles

To evaluate the relationship of obstructive sleep apnea with chronic periodontitis and its association with coronary artery disease by assessing serum tumor necrosis factor-α

The periodontal tissue initiates an immune-inflammatory response against bacteria and their products at the site of periodontal infection, and systemic attack by these pathogens triggers an acute phase response that contributes to the systemic inflammatory burden. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and periodontal diseases share many common risk factors and are therefore disorders associated with, and possibly related to, systemic inflammation.Objectives 1.) To evaluate the severity of infection-causing chronic periodontitis subjects leading to Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk.2.) To evaluate specific Inflammatory marker TNF-α in coronary artery disease (CAD) subjects with chronic periodontitis and obstructive sleep apnea.Methods A total of 5 ml of the venous blood was collected from each participant which was separated out by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for 5–10 min at room temperature for the estimation of inflammatory markers. Collected samples were labeled and stored at − 20 °C in a deep freezer. The estimation of human TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) levels was determined using an ELISA kit based on the Sandwich-ELISA principle.Conclusion TNF-α may serve as important markers for the diagnosis of chronic periodontitis and obstructive sleep apnea and the prediction of the severity of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular disease can be efficiently circumvented with a biomarker-based approach to treatment, which also benefits patients' quality of life.Results The result of our study showed that TNF-α is involved in the onset and progression of obstructive sleep apnea leading to coronary artery disease since the expression levels of TNF in the case group were considerably higher than those in the control group.

Causal Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Bone Mineral Density and the Role of BMI.

Observational studies have yielded conflicting evidence concerning the relationships between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and bone mineral density (BMD). As the exact causal inferences remain inconclusive, we conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) to identify the causal associations between OSA and BMD. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with OSA were extracted from the FinnGen study. Summary statistics for 10 BMD measured at different age or skeletal sites were obtained from the publicly availableIEU GWAS database. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was chosen as the primary analysis, combined with several sensitivity analyses to evaluate the robustness of results. The study design included two-sample MR and network MR. Our primary MR analysis revealed that genetically predicted OSA was positively linked to increased forearm BMD (β = 0.24, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06-0.41, p = 0.009) and heel BMD (β=0.10, 95% CI = 0.02-0.18, p = 0.018), while no significant causal relationships were observed between OSA and total body BMD, lumbar spine BMD, or femoral neck BMD (all p > 0.05). Network MR suggests that OSA might act as a mediating factor in the effect of BMI on forearm BMD and heel BMD, with a mediated portion estimated at 73% and 84%, respectively. Our findings provide support for a causal relationship between genetically predicted OSA and increased forearm BMD and heel BMD. Furthermore, our results suggest that OSA may play a role in mediating the influence of BMI on BMD.

Association of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep quality with cognitive function: a study of middle-aged and elderly persons in India.

Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and poor sleep quality affect around one in ten people in India. We aimed to determine if OSA symptoms and poor sleep quality are independently associated with cognition in middle-aged and elderly urban Indian populations. We studied the cross-sectional association between OSA symptoms (by Berlin Questionnaire), poor sleep quality (by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and cognitive function in adults ≥ 50years. Using a standard neuropsychological battery for cognitive function, a G-factor was derived as the first rotated principal component assessing domains of information processing, memory, and executive function. The associations of exposures with cognitive measures were modeled using linear regression, adjusted for metabolic risk factors, lifestyle factors, and psychosocial problems, followed by stratified analysis by decadal age group. A total of 7505 adults were enrolled.Excluding those with MMSE < 26 (n 710), of 6795 individuals (49.2% women), mean (SD) age 64.2 (9.0) years, 38.3% had high risk of OSA symptoms, and 15.9% had poor sleep quality. OSA symptoms were negatively associated with cognitive domains of information processing (adjusted beta coefficient of z-score - 0.02, p-value 0.006), memory (- 0.03, 0.014), and G-factor (- 0.11, 0.014) in full-model. Stratified analysis by age group showed significant adverse effects of OSA symptoms on cognition for middle-aged people (50-60years) (- 0.26, 0.001), but not in later age groups. Poor sleep quality was also associated with lower cognitive scores for G-factor (- 0.48, < 0.001), memory (- 0.08, 0.005), and executive domains (- 0.12, < 0.001), but not with information domain. The findings suggest that both symptoms of OSA and poor sleep quality have a direct adverse impact on cognition in an Indian setting. A modest effect of age on the relationship of OSA and cognition was also observed.

Relationship of obstructive sleep apnea with periodontal condition and its local and systemic risk factors

ObjectiveObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and periodontitis share risk factors, such as age, obesity, stress, and cardiovascular events, which have a bidirectional cause-effect relationship through systemic inflammation. Our objective was to determine the relationship between OSA and the periodontal condition and its associated local and systemic risk factors.Material and methodsThis was an observational case-control study involving 60 patients. Local oral risk factors and the systemic condition of each patient were evaluated. All patients underwent polysomnography for the diagnosis of OSA. Chi-squared, one-way ANOVA, and Bonferroni’s tests were performed.ResultsA higher percentage of patients with periodontitis had severe OSA (66.66%); however, no statistically significant association was found between the two pathologies (p = 0.290). In terms of systemic risk factors, an association was found between arterial hypertension and severe OSA (p = 0.038), and in terms of local factors, an association was found between the use of removable prostheses and severe OSA (p = 0.0273).ConclusionIn the general population, patients with periodontitis showed a higher prevalence of severe OSA. Obesity and hypothyroidism were the most prevalent systemic findings in patients with OSA and periodontitis. Arterial hypertension and osteoarthritis were found to be associated with severe OSA. The local risk factors associated with periodontitis and severe OSA were removable partial dentures and misfit resins.Clinical relevanceTo study the factors that can facilitate the progression of OSA and periodontitis, physicians and dentists should be advised to provide comprehensive care for patients with both pathologies.

The Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Cardiovascular Reactivity, Psychological Distress, and Coping Responses in the South African Context: A Critical Review

The Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Cardiovascular Reactivity, Psychological Distress, and Coping Responses in the South African Context: A Critical Review

Exploring the Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Psychopathology and Executive functioning in People with Schizophrenia: A Pilot study

Exploring the Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnea with Psychopathology and Executive functioning in People with Schizophrenia: A Pilot study

Relationship of obstructive sleep apnea with major depressive disorder and development of metabolic syndrome.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is often linked with a number of coexisting disorders with a relation that is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to find out the role of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in metabolic syndrome (MS) in subjects with MDD and to develop a model for factors leading to MS. It was a cross-sectional study conducted on 119 subjects. They were evaluated on sociodemographic and clinical parameters, Berlin questionnaire, and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology. Comparisons were made using appropriate statistics. Binary logistic regression was used to find out the role of clinical parameters in the development of MS. A total of 34% with MDD had a high risk of developing OSA while 19% had metabolic syndrome. Among all clinical variables, antidepressant exposure in terms of total fluoxetine units, duration of treatment, and risk of developing OSA was found to be significantly more in patients with MS. A higher risk of OSA was found to have a higher likelihood to cause MS in patients with MDD. There is a high risk of MS and OSA in subjects with MDD. The increased risk of MS is contributed by an increased risk of developing OSA among patients with MDD. Cross-sectional design and limited generalizability are the major limitations of this study.

The role of obstructive sleep apnea on the prognosis of pulmonary embolism: a systemic review and meta-analysis.

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and pulmonary embolism (PE) has been reported by some studies but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to systematically assess the role of OSA on the disease prognosis of PE. We searched for studies on the relationship of OSA and the prognosis of PE published up to February 2020 among PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Two independent reviewers conducted the process of study search and screening, quality assessment, and data extraction. Meta-analysis was carried out using RevMan 5.3. A total of 9 articles were included, and the funnel plots suggested no evidence of publication bias among studies. The results showed that compared to PE patients without OSA, the PE patients with moderate-severe OSA were more likely to be high-risk type (OR = 1.96, 95% CI [1.14, 3.34]) and with higher index ofdisease severity (sPESI: OR = 2.29, 95% CI [1.50, 3.47]; PAOI%: MD = 13.52, 95% CI [7.2, 19.83]). The prevalence of recurrent PE was higher in PE patients with OSA than those without OSA (RR = 3.87, 95% CI [1.65, 9.07]). However, there was no significant difference in right ventricle to left ventricle short-axis diameter (MD = 0.08, 95% CI [- 0.06, 0.21]), length of hospital stay (MD = 1.03, 95% CI [- 1.11, 3.17]), or prevalence of deep vein thrombosis (OR = 0.87, 95% CI [0.48, 1.57]). Sensitivity and subgroup analysis showed that the pooled outcomes were stable. OSA, especially moderate-severe OSA, was a risk factor for high-risk PE and recurrent PE. However, the current evidence showed that the length of hospitalstay is not influenced by OSA.

Sleep breathing disorders in ischemic stroke: relationship with the localization and toast classification subtypes

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, despite successful strategies to manage the main risk factors for ischemic stroke (hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus and others). Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is poorly studied, but potentially significant and modifiable risk factor for stroke, so it draws attention of investigators. In this review we have focused on some aspects and analyzed the relationship of different variants of SBD with the lesions localization and the type of acute ischemic stroke according to TOAST criteria. During the analysis, it was shown that in the early period after cerebrovascular accident, the frequency and severity of respiratory disturbances in sleep were higher, mainly due to the presence of central apnea, which develops when the vertebro-basilar pool is involved in the blood supply zone. However, impaired cerebral circulation of supratentorial localization can also be a factor contributing to the appearance or exacerbation of respiratory failure in a dream. With regard to the relationship of respiratory disorders in a dream with a type of cerebrovascular accident according to the TOAST classification, we can talk about the likely relationship of obstructive sleep apnea with a cerebrovascular accident of cardioembolic and atherothrombotic origin.

The relationship of obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular diseases from the perspective of evidence-based medicine. Part 1

The results of prospective studies, meta-analyzes and systematic reviews on the associations of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with various cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were analyzed. Currently, the mechanisms related to high prevalence of breathing-related sleep disorders among population of economically developed countries are clear, and an increase in the number of OSA patients has been shown. The relationship between OSA and CVD has been widely confirmed in large cohort studies. The first review part discusses the relationship of hypertension (HTN) and various heart arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation (AF), bradyarrhythmias, premature ventricular contraction, sudden death during sleep) with breathing-related sleep disorders. These groups of cardiovascular disorders currently show the most proven relationship with sleep apnea. In addition to cross-sectional studies indicating the high prevalence of OSA in patients with HTN and AF, some observational studies indicate an increase in the number of patients with HTN and paroxysmal AF with history of untreated sleep apnea. An analysis of the current issues of OSA phenotypes (in particular, REM-related OSA in hypertensive patients) as the most unfavorable cardiovascular factors is carried out.

Organizational-legal aspects of road traffic injuries in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

The relationship of obstructive sleep apnea and road accidents due to sleep while driving is considered. It was established that traffic accidents due to falling asleep while driving are most often accompanied by fatalities and serious injuries, since the driver is unable to take any action to reduce speed or avoid obstacles. The demographic damage from traffic accidents and their consequences annually is about 30 thousand people. The literature data describing the organizational and legal aspects of road traffic injuries in patients with night apnea are summarized. The current level of organization of medical care for patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea syndrome does not correspond to the level of diagnosis and treatment of the disease in these patients. The list of diseases that may serve as a basis for limiting the issuance of a driver’s license does not include obstructive sleep apnea. The legal aspects of the consequences of traffic accidents due to sleep while driving are shown. The question of the responsibility of doctors who did not diagnose obstructive apnea syndrome in the classic picture of the disease is raised. An attempt was made to justify the need to adjust existing domestic regulatory legal acts in relation to conducting a mandatory examination of drivers for the presence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and medical road safety.

The relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative delirium and pain: an observational study of a surgical cohort.

Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea are at increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes, such as cardiac and respiratory complications. It has been hypothesised that obstructive sleep apnoea also increases the risk for postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain. We conducted a retrospective, observational study investigating the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea with postoperative delirium and acute postoperative pain severity. Patients were classified as being at high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea if they had been diagnosed with this condition, or if they were positive for more than four factors using the 'STOP-BANG' screening tool. Adjusted logistic regression was used to investigate the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative delirium, and multivariable linear regression to study the relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea and postoperative pain severity. The incidence of postoperative delirium was 307 in 1441 patients (21.3%; 95%CI 19.2-23.5%). In unadjusted analysis, high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was associated with delirium, with an odds ratio (95%CI) of 1.77 (1.22-2.57; p=0.003). After adjustment for pre-specified variables, the association was not statistically significant with odds ratio 1.34 (0.80-2.23; p=0.27). The mean (SD) maximum pain (resting or provoked) reported for the entire cohort was 63.8 (27.9)mm on a 0-100mm visual analogue scale. High risk for obstructive sleep apnoea was not associated with postoperative pain severity (β-coefficient 2.82; 95%CI, -2.34-7.97; p=0.28). These findings suggest that obstructive sleep apnoea is unlikely to be a strong risk factor for postoperative delirium or acute postoperative pain severity.

Effects of obstructive sleep apnea on inflammatory markers in patients with acute coronary syndrome

Objective To examine the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and to evaluate the relationship of OSA with inflammatory biomarkers in ACS patients. Methods Patients with ACS treated at Beijing Anzhen Hopital from June 2015 to May 2017 were enrolled. Subjects were evaluated for OSA by sleep study, and were divided into a normal-mild OSA group (Apnea Hypopnea Index, AHI < 15 times/h) and a moderate-severe OSA group (AHI≥15 times/h). Laboratory examination and sleep study were monitored to analyze the effects of OSA on biomarkers by LSD-t test, Mann-whitney U test, or Chi-square test. Correlation analysis was performed to analyze the association of OSA with high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by Spearman correlation anaylsis. Results A cohort of 836 patients with ACS were enrolled including 408 patients in the normal-mild OSA group and 428 patients in the moderate-severe OSA group. The levels of leukocyte(×109L) [7.78 (6.33, 9.86) vs 7.29 (6.01, 9.16), P=0.006], neutrophils(×109L) [5.05 (3.84, 7.23) vs 4.80 (3.74, 6.66), P=0.044], monocytes(×109L) [0.42 (0.33, 0.54) vs 0.39 (0.31, 0.51), P=0.033], hs-CRP(mg/L) [3.18 (1.10, 11.52) vs 1.78 (0.65, 6.46), P<0.01], fibrinogen(g/L) [3.17 (2.87, 3.74) vs 2.97 (2.59, 3.50), P=0.002], and uric acid(μmol/L) [360 (302, 422) vs 341(283, 407), P=0.006] in the moderate-severe OSA group were significant higher than those in the normal-mild OSA group. AHI (correlation coefficient=0.171, R2=0.020, P<0.01), ODI (correlation coefficient = 0.201, R2=0.027, P<0.01), and TSaO2 < 90% (correlation coefficient = 0.105, R2=0.005, P<0.01) were positively correlated with hs-CRP; minimal SaO2 (correlation coefficient=-0.100, R2=0.001, P=0.008) and mean SaO2 (correlation coefficient = -0.127, R2= 0.006, P<0.01) were negatively correlated with hs-CRP. Conclusions For patients with ACS, the level of inflammatory markers in the moderate-severe OSA group is significantly higher than that in the normal-mild OSA group. Hs-CRP is significantly associated with the severity of OSA. Diagnosis and monitoring of OSA should be considered in ACS management in the future. Key words: Acute coronary syndrome; Obstructive sleep apnea; Inflammatory marker; C-reactive protein

Impact of continuous positive airway pressure on vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: a meta-analysis.

Cumulative evidence supports the clear relationship of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with cardiovascular disease (CVD). And, adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment alleviates the risk of CVD in subjects with OSA. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent angiogenic cytokine regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor, stimulates the progression of CVD. Thus, whether treatment with CPAP can actually decrease VEGF in patients with OSA remains inconclusive. The purpose of the present study was to quantitatively evaluate the impact of CPAP therapy on VEGF levels in OSA patients. We systematically searched Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Embase databases that examined the impact of CPAP on VEGF levels in OSA patients prior to May 1, 2017. Related searching terms were "sleep apnea, obstructive," "sleep disordered breathing," "continuous positive airway pressure," "positive airway pressure," and "vascular endothelial growth factor." We used standardized mean difference (SMD) to analyze the summary estimates for CPAP therapy. Six studies involving 392 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis of the pooled effect showed that levels of VEGF were significantly decreased in patients with OSA before and after CPAP treatment (SMD = - 0.440, 95% confidence interval (CI) = - 0.684 to - 0.196, z = 3.53, p = 0.000). Further, results demonstrated that differences in age, body mass index, apnea-hypopnea index, CPAP therapy duration, sample size, and racial differences also affected CPAP efficacy. Improved endothelial function measured by VEGF may be associated with CPAP therapy in OSA patients. The use of VEGF levels may be clinically important in evaluating CVD for OSA patients. Further large-scale, well-designed long-term interventional investigations are needed to clarify this issue.

Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring in Chinese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) dipping in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has not yet been well investigated in Chinese patients, in whom the relationship of OSA and body mass index (BMI) is weaker than that in Caucasians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the BP profile, and the relationships between nocturnal BP and the severity of OSA, in Chinese patients. Consecutive Chinese adult outpatients with suspected OSA had overnight polysomnography (PSG), office BP, and 24-h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and nocturnal oxygen saturation level were recorded, and BP patterns were classified based on the ABPM. Fifty-six subjects (40 male and 16 female, 48.59 ± 13.27 y) were evaluated. There were 14 patients with mild OSA (25.0%, AHI: 10.56 ± 3.42 events/h), 16 with moderate OSA (28.6%, AHI: 23.536 ± 3.42 events/h) and 26 with severe OSA (46.4%, AHI: 51.52 ± 3.42 events/h). There were 18 dippers (32.1%), 27 non-dippers (48.2%), and 11 reverse dippers (19.6%). As OSA severity increased, non-dipping also increased. A total of 67.9% of the OSA patients showed overall hypertension on ABPM, 57.1% had daytime hypertension only, and 73.2% had nighttime hypertension. OSA severity is associated with 24-h BP profiles in a population with only mild increases in BMI. These results can influence clinical practice, OSA management, and hypertension treatment policies.

Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea with Diabetic Retinopathy: A Meta-Analysis.

Until now, the relationship of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) with diabetic retinopathy (DR) was controversial. This meta-analysis was performed to obtain definitive conclusion on this topic. Relevant articles were searched on databases of Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The articles were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the relationship of OSA with risk of DR. I2 and P value were used to assess the presence of heterogeneity. I2 ≥ 50% or P < 0.05 indicated significant heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of pooled results. Begg's funnel plot and Egger's regression analysis were adopted to assess publication bias. 6 eligible studies were selected in the present meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that OSA was significantly associated with increased risk of DR (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.49–2.72). Subgroup analysis based on type of diabetes mellitus suggested that OSA was related to DR in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated that pooled results were robust. No significant publication bias was observed (P = 0.128). The results indicate that OSA is related to increased risk of DR.

Obstructive sleep apnea and asthma.

Both asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are common conditions involving the adults and children population, and have significant impact on the healthcare system. For the last few decades a lot of data emerged in terms of the prevalence between asthma and OSA. The prevalence ranges from 38% up to as high as 70%. Based on the current concepts of bidirectional relationship of OSA and asthma, it is sensible to assume that treating one disorder will result in the other's better control and vice versa. This review will look into the pathogenesis of concomitant OSA and asthma and whether the first line OSA therapy will result in better control of asthma in patients with concomitant OSA. There is growing evidence that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in adults and adenotonsillectomy in children which are recommended as first line treatment of OSA can improve their asthma symptoms. However, further confirmation is necessary with larger randomized control trials to further evaluate both conditions and the treatment effects.

Chronic kidney disease in European patients with obstructive sleep apnea: the ESADA cohort study.

The cross-sectional relationship of obstructive sleep apnea with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60mLmin-1 ∙1.73m-2 , was investigated in a large cohort of patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea studied by nocturnal polysomnography or cardiorespiratory polygraphy. Data were obtained from the European Sleep Apnea Database, where information from unselected adult patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea afferent to 26 European sleep centres had been prospectively collected. Both the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease and the Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration equations were used for the assessment of estimated glomerular filtration rate. The analysed sample included 7700 subjects, 71% male, aged 51.9±12.5years. Severe obstructive sleep apnea (apnea-hypopnea index ≥30) was found in 34% of subjects. The lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation was 81±10.2%. Chronic kidney disease prevalence in the whole sample was 8.7% or 6.1%, according to the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease or the Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaboration equations, respectively. Subjects with lower estimated glomerular filtration rate were older, more obese, more often female, had worse obstructive sleep apnea and more co-morbidities (P<0.001, each). With both equations, independent predictors of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 were: chronic heart failure; female gender; systemic hypertension; older age; higher body mass index; and worse lowest nocturnal oxygen saturation. It was concluded that in obstructive sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease is largely predicted by co-morbidities and anthropometric characteristics. In addition, severe nocturnal hypoxaemia, even for only a small part of the night, may play an important role as a risk factor for kidney dysfunction.

Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Metabolic Syndrome: A Study in a South Indian Population

Relationship of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and Metabolic Syndrome: A Study in a South Indian Population

Frequency of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome in Dental Patients with Tooth Wear

To estimate the frequency of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in dental patients with tooth wear, and to assess the role of dentists in the identification of patients at risk of OSAS. Dental patients with tooth wear and treated with occlusal splint were prospectively recruited to perform sleep study. The severity of tooth wear was established by the treating dentist before patient referral to sleep disorders unit. Sleep questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and validated respiratory polygraphy were performed. All patients with dental wear were offered a sleepiness analysis. Of 31 recruited patients, 30 (77% males) participated in this study. Patients' mean age was 58.5 ± 10.7 years (range: 35-90 years) and the body mass index was 27.9 ± 3.4 kg/m(2). Tooth wear was mild in 13 patients, moderate in 8 and severe in 9. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 32.4 ± 24.9. AHI < 5 was reported in 2 patients, AHI of 5-29 in 17, and AHI ≥ 30 in 11. A statistically significant association was found between AHI severity and tooth wear severity (Spearman R = 0.505; p = 0.004). Tooth wear could be a tool to identify those patients at risk of having OSAS. This highlights the importance of dental professionals to identify and refer patients with OSAS.