A 66-year old man comes to the physician because of fatigue for 6 months. He says that he wakes up every morning feeling tired. Most days of the week he feels sleepy during the day and often takes an afternoon nap for an hour. His wife says he snores in the middle of the night. He drinks 1-2 glasses of wine daily with dinner; he does not smoke. BMI is 36 kg/m2. Examination of the oral cavity shows a low-lying palate. Cardiac examination shows an irregularly irregular rhythm and no murmurs. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. The patient is at increased risk of developing which of the following?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea presents in obese individuals with excessive daytime sleepiness and signs of nocturnal upper airway obstruction (eg, snoring, gasping).  The condition is associated with systemic hypertension.  Prolonged, untreated obstructive sleep apnea can also cause pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure.

A 66-Year Old Man Comes to the Physician Because of Fatigue