Obstructive sleep apnea and its relationship with psychiatric disorders.

Obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by the recurrent occurrence of apnoea and hypopneas during sleep. OSAHS is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, and stroke. The high prevalence of OSAHS among patients with psychiatric disorders, along with the reciprocal links between these two categories of conditions, deserve emphasis. This association indeed carries diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications. Diagnosis poses specific challenges, including difficulties to perform sleep recording, and intricated causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. Emphasis should be made on reducing daytime sleepiness, nocturnal symptoms, and psychiatric symptoms. Data exist on the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in reducing anxiety and depression.