Overview, Description, and Types of Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) encompass a collection of disorders that include obstructive sleep apnea syndromes, central sleep apnea syndromes, and sleep-related hypoventilation/hypoxemic syndromes. SRBDs result in periods of hypoventilation, which can result in gas exchange abnormalities (e.g., hypercapnia/hypoxemia) and recurrent arousals from sleep. Recurrent periods of hypoventilation may then set offa cascade of additional physiologic sequelae including sympathetic activation, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, metabolic dysregulation, and recurrent blood pressure swings that are associated with clinical sequelae of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, neurocognitive impairment, glucose intolerance, and early mortality. Diagnoses of SRBDs typically require polysomnography. In this article, a broad overview and description of the varying SRBDs will be reviewed.