Obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is the most common subtype of sleep-disordered breathing, characterized by symptoms such as snoring, nocturnal sleep disturbances, and excessive daytime sleepiness. OSAHS is defined by recurrent upper airway collapses during sleep, leading to apneas or hypopneas. These episodes result in intermittent nocturnal hypoxia and sleep fragmentation, which provoke sympathetic activation, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation, ultimately causing chronic damage across multiple bodily systems. OSAHS significantly increases the risk of various cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, including atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia. In China, approximately 176 million individuals are estimated to have OSAHS, with about 60 million experiencing moderate to severe forms of the condition. This paper reviews the epidemiological characteristics of OSAHS, the evolution of diagnostic criteria, and the association between OSAHS and metabolic syndrome (MetS), emphasizing the high prevalence of MetS among OSAHS patients. Through cross-sectional analysis, cohort studies, and interventional studies, the complex interactions between OSAHS and MetS are examined, proposing therapeutic strategies to improve these metabolic anomalies, including continuous positive airway pressure therapy and weight management.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a heterogeneous disease, having diversity in symptom, polysomnography parameter, etc. Studies have found that apnea–hypopnea index as a single measure cannot reflect its heterogeneity. More personalized diagnostic criteria and treatment measures are needed. But there are different kinds of results with different races and regions. It is essential to consider the characteristics of the local population when formulating individual treatment plan. There are significant discrepancies between Chinese and White race in terms of morphologic features, daily habits, religious beliefs and so on. However, the research based on the Chinese population still suffers from scarcity. This review sums up recent progress of studies on OSA from the Chinese population to provide useful references for related research and treatment in the future.
The first-night effect (FNE) is a prevalent occurrence in sleep monitoring that can impact the accuracy of monitoring results, encompassing both FNE and reverse first-night effect. FNE is characterized by extended sleep onset latency, reduced total sleep time, diminished sleep efficiency, prolonged wake-time after sleep onset, among other manifestations. The physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying FNE are primarily linked to acute stress induced by the environment and heightened levels of anxiety, involving the default mode network. FNE exhibits varying manifestations and impacts across individuals of different age groups and genetic predispositions. We also discuss the influence of placebo and sedative-hypnotics on FNE. Understanding these factors is crucial for guiding clinicians and technologists in standardizing polysomnography (PSG) practices and improving the accuracy of sleep disorder diagnoses.
Objectives: Investigate whether partial sleep deprivation for five nights causes vascular changes in healthy university students.
Study design: Prospective observational study.
Methods: The study involved 18 young and healthy university students who were instructed to sleep as recommended for their age group for three consecutive nights. On the study’s fourth night, participants slept a maximum of 5 h and, on the following nights, they slept less than 8 h. The assessments consisted of carotid assessment, flow-mediated dilation, and blood pressure (BP) monitoring. During the 8 days studied, participants used actigraphy in their daily routine.
Results: A decrease in the BP of the common carotid artery (CCA), both systolic and diastolic resulted from partial sleep deprivation. After one night of partial sleep deprivation, there was a significant increase in peak systolic velocity and a significant decrease in the systolic diameter of CCA. However, the systolic velocity returned to values similar to those of the control group with the accumulation of nights with sleep deprivation.
Conclusions: Our study indicates that those who do not get sufficient sleep, display sudden alterations in their cardiovascular parameters, which are consistent with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and hypertension.