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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sleep Sci 2022; 15(S 01): 285-288
DOI: 10.5935/1984-0063.20220001
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Pitfalls of AHI system of severity grading in obstructive sleep apnoea

Authors

  • Rashmi Soori

    1   K S Hegde Medical Academy, Anaesthesiology and critical care - Mangalore - Karnataka - India.

  • Nandakishore Baikunje

    2   K S Hegde Medical Academy, Pulmonary Mediicne - Mangalore - Karnataka - India.

  • Ivor D’sa

    3   K S Hegde Medical Academy, General medicine - Mangalore - Karnataka - India.

  • Navneet Bhushan

    4   Crafitti Consulting private limited, Founder - Director - Bangalore - Karnataka - India.

  • Belur Nagabhushana

    5   L-1 ID solutions, IT solutions - Bangalore - Karnataka - India.

  • Giridhar Belur Hosmane

    2   K S Hegde Medical Academy, Pulmonary Mediicne - Mangalore - Karnataka - India.
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Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is the major underlying co-morbidity in many of the non-communicable diseases (NCD) due to obesity as a common risk factor. Incidence and prevalence of OSA is on the constant rise ever since this entity came to forefront three decades ago. Precise treatment of underlying OSA is extremely important in major NCDs like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, endocrine disorders and vascular diseases. OSA is subcategorized in to mild, moderate and severe based of apnoea-hypopnea index (AHI). Based on the severity grading, treatment of OSA ranges from life style modifications to oral appliances, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and surgeries. AHI system of severity grading in OSA has several inherent shortcomings and using AHI system for severity grading as the holy grail is likely to be counter-productive. AHI system equates apnoea and hypopnea as equal events, whereas physiological effects vary significantly. AHI system does not account duration of apnoea or body position during apnoeic events. We discuss at length the pitfalls of AHI system of severity grading in OSA.

Sleep Apnea - Obstructive - Sleep Apnea Syndromes - Sleep Stages


Publication History

Received: 19 June 2021

Accepted: 02 August 2021

Article published online:
01 December 2023

© 2023. Brazilian Sleep Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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