Abstract :
In the last century, major death tolls were due to infections and communicable diseases. At present, the major causes of death are non-communicable diseases such as cerebrovascular diseases, ischemic heart diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and cancer. The etiology of these disorders is multifactorial. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were previously considered social problems, but studies have shown that OSA is an important risk factor for life-threatening diseases.
Morbidity, quality of life, and healthcare cost are significantly influenced by sleep quality, which is frequently fragmented by obstructive sleep apnea.
Introduction :
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder, characterized by recurrent episodes of complete or partial upper airway obstruction during sleep, leading to reduced or absent airflow. These episodes are termed “apneas” when breathing ceases completely or near-completely, and “hypopneas” when airflow is partially reduced. These events may result in decreased blood oxygen saturation, sleep disruption, or both.
A high frequency of apneas and hypopneas during sleep can severely impair sleep quality, and together with intermittent hypoxemia, contributes to adverse health outcomes and reduced quality of life. The terms obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) or obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) are used when symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness and cognitive impairment are present.
At present, about 85% of adult deaths are due to non-communicable diseases, with ischemic heart disease (21.1%), stroke (22.1%), and chronic respiratory disease (16.4%) contributing a major proportion in Bangladesh. Most non-communicable disease-related deaths are closely associated with or influenced by obstructive sleep apnea, although it remains under-recognized.