Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Strategies for Screening, Management, and Overcoming Treatment Challenges in the Outpatient Setting

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by repetitive airway closure, which can lead to hypoxemia and sympathetic nervous system activation. This can result in significant cardiovascular and neurologic morbidity. Therefore, early recognition and treatment are extremely important. The gold standard treatment of OSA is positive airway pressure, which has been shown to decrease the risk of these sequelae. Alternatives to positive airway pressure therapy are not commonly discussed but are available to those who are not able to tolerate positive airway pressure. The goal of this review is to discuss the pathophysiology, epidemiology, screening and testing, and treatment considerations for OSA.