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Postural obstructive sleep apnea. Narrative literature review
Postural obstructive sleep apnea. Narrative literature review
Rafael Bernal-Bermúdez 1 
, Rosario Hernández-Valenzuela 2, 3 , Sergio Ramírez-Díaz 4 , Franklin Escobar-Córdoba 2, 3, 5
1 Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá D.C., Colombia; 2 Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia; 3 Hospital Universitario Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá D.C., Colombia; 4 Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá D.C., Colombia; 5 Fundación Sueño Vigilia Colombiana., Bogotá D.C., Colombia
*Correspondence: Franklin Escobar-Córdoba. Email: feescobarc@unal.edu.co
Abstract
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by partial or complete collapse of the upper airway. These collapses may involve one or several anatomical structures or spaces, making them susceptible to gravitational and pressure changes associated with positional shifts. Consequently, there is a decrease in oxygenation and an increase in carbon dioxide levels, leading to both daytime and nighttime symptoms that negatively affect quality of life and increase the risk of long-term cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive complications. Obstructive sleep apnea encompasses several phenotypes, one of which is positional obstructive sleep apnea, characterized by a higher occurrence of apneic events when the individual is in the most unfavorable position, namely the supine position. This narrative literature review provides an overview of the definitions, clinical characteristics, pathophysiology, anatomy, and current therapeutic approaches for positional obstructive sleep apnea.
Keywords: Obstructive sleep apnea. Supine position. Classification. Polysomnography. Therapeutics.
