Respirology/ ICU

Older Age and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Mechanism

Older age is recognized as a risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea.[1]

But why? Suspected physiologic changes with older age that increase the risk of apnea: increased collapsibility of the upper airway, reduction in genioglossus muscular tone, and reduced upper airway dilator muscle activity/responsiveness.[2,3,4]

References

  1. Shochat T, Pillar G. Sleep apnoea in the older adult: pathophysiology, epidemiology, consequences and management. Drugs Aging. 2003;20(8):551-60.
  2. Eikermann M, Jordan AS, Chamberlin NL, Gautam S, Wellman A, Lo YL, White DP, Malhotra A. The influence of aging on pharyngeal collapsibility during sleep. Chest. 2007 Jun;131(6):1702-9.
  3. Osorio RS, Martínez-García MÁ, Rapoport DM. Sleep apnoea in the elderly: a great challenge for the future. Eur Respir J. 2021 Sep 24;59(4):2101649.
Get Medical Pearls directly to your inbox every week!
Weekly posts with high yield medical knowledge, directly to your mailbox!
Dr. C Humphreys

Internal Medicine

Share
Published by
Dr. C Humphreys
1 year ago

Recent Posts

Obstructive sleep apnea & Polycythemia: Mechanism

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is thought to lead to secondary polycythemia due to intermittent hypoxia,…

9 months ago

Pale Stool, Dark Urine & Biliary Obstruction: Mechanism

Catabolism of hemoglobin leads to the release of heme, which converts to biliverdin and then…

9 months ago

Why is Tongue Scalloping seen with Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Tongue scalloping refers to the series of indentations along the sides of the tongue that…

10 months ago

How does Weight Affect Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): Mechanism

Being overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2)/Obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) is one of the most…

1 year ago

Nocturia and OSA: Mechanism

Nocturia is a common symptom associated with obstructive sleep apnea. [1] Img Cred: Am J…

2 years ago

ASD vs. VSD Murmur Difference

ASD (Atrial Septal Defect) Wide, Fixed split S2 (in contrast to the normal variation in…

2 years ago

This website uses cookies.