Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep, despite ongoing respiratory effort. These obstructive events, apneas and hypopneas, reduce or halt airflow, causing intermittent dr…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 10 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 78× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2574-4518 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep, despite ongoing respiratory effort. These obstructive events, apneas and hypopneas, reduce or halt airflow, causing intermittent drops in blood oxygen, surges in carbon dioxide, and brief arousals that fragment sleep, typically without full awakening. The airway collapse arises from anatomical and physiological factors that narrow or destabilize the pharynx during sleep, with risk increased by obesity, craniofacial and soft-tissue features, and certain conditions such as Down syndrome. Hallmark features include loud habitual snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, choking arousals, and non-restorative sleep, producing excessive daytime sleepiness and reduced quality of life. Through repeated hypoxia, arousal, and sympathetic activation, OSAS is associated with cardiovascular consequences including hypertension, arrhythmia, and increased cardiovascular risk, and it interacts with metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. Diagnosis relies on assessment of symptoms and risk factors together with sleep studies, most definitively polysomnography, that quantify the frequency of respiratory events and associated oxygen desaturation. Management includes weight reduction, positive airway pressure therapy, oral and nasal devices, positional measures, and surgical options in selected cases. Because it is prevalent, often underdiagnosed, and linked to serious health outcomes, OSAS is a central focus of sleep medicine and cardiovascular risk reduction.

Research published in this journal

10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 10 articles above have been cited 78 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Sleep And Sleep Disorder Research (ISSN 2574-4518).

Journal editorial board
Dragos Octavian Palade · Romania Mauro Manconi · Switzerland Karim Sedky · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.