Intermittent Versus Sustained Hypoxemia from Sleep-disordered Breathing

In a variety of physiologic and pathologic states, people may experience both chronic sustained hypoxemia and intermittent hypoxemia ( “combined” or “overlap” hypoxemia). In general, hypoxemia in such instances predicts a variety of maladaptive outcomes, including excess cardiovascular disease or mortality. However, hypoxemia may be one of the myriad phenotypic effects in such states, making it difficult to ascertain whethe r adverse outcomes are primarily driven by hypoxemia, and if so, whether these effects are due to intermittent versus sustained hypoxemia.
Source: Sleep Medicine Clinics - Category: Sleep Medicine Authors: Source Type: research