Obstructive sleep apnea: A silent threat with serious consequnces

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder and was first described as a clinical entity in the medical literature in 1976. According to contemporary estimates, approximately 936 million adults worldwide have OSA, while around 425 million suffer from moderate to severe forms of the disease. OSA not only impairs sleep quality but is also associated with numerous systemic consequences, primarily cardiometabolic disorders, as well as reduced productivity, more frequent work absenteeism, and an increased risk of traffic accidents, all of which significantly diminish patients quality of life. Untreated moderate and severe OSA exerts a substantial negative economic impact on healthcare systems and society as a whole. Despite the considerable disease burden, strategies for prevention, early detection, and treatment remain insufficiently defined and unevenly implemented. Countries with consistent and coordinated healthcare policies can reduce the economic burden of OSA by approximately 50% compared with countries adopting a fragmented approach. These findings underscore the need for a systematic and integrated approach to the management of this increasingly important public health problem.