ABSTRACT
The development of clinical activity in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndromes has been influenced by two basic themes: prevalence and treatment. Upper airway obstruction during sleep is widely prevalent in adults (1), remarkably so in view of the fact that the modern recognition of this problem began in 1965 (2), and as recently as 1978 sleep apnea was still considered a new and curious entity (3). OSA produces a spectrum of clinical effects: most subjects have symptoms, many have obvious disability and morbidity, and mortality is increased, although the relation of the increase to sleep apnea is controversial (4). At the same time it should be emphasized that most persons with OSA have a mild version of the condition. Using an Apnea/Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 30 to describe mild, more than 50% of persons with AHI 5 in the Madison study are classified as being in this category (1).
