Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), more commonly known as sleep apnea, is characterized by abnormally frequent pauses in breathing during sleep, due to obstruction of the ducts in the back of the throat. Nocturnal snoring and daytime drowsiness are the main symptoms. These cessations (apneas) or decreases (hypopneas) in ventilation generally last between 10 and 30 seconds, and are repeated at least five times an hour. They can occur a hundred or more times a night [1]. This syndrome, which is thought to affect 1 billion people worldwide [2], has repercussions on quality of life and increases the risk of various diseases, notably cardiovascular, metabolic and neurocognitive, as well as cancer [3].
[1] https://www.ameli.fr/assure/sante/themes/apnee-du-sommeil/comprendre-apnee-sommeil
Eckert D.J., Phenotypic approaches to obstructive sleep apnoea – New pathways for targeted therapy. Sleep Med Rev, 2018. 37: p. 45-59.
[2] https://www.inserm.fr/dossier/apnee-sommeil/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32286648/
[3] Eckert D.J., Phenotypic approaches to obstructive sleep apnoea – New pathways for targeted therapy. Sleep Med Rev, 2018. 37: p. 45-59.