Putting Prevention into Practice: Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Adults

Case Study Questions * Based on the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which one of the following approaches to screening for OSA is appropriate for this patient? * A. He should be screened using a portable home sleep monitor because there is adequate evidence that screening for OSA improves all-cause mortality in adults. * B. He should be screened using polysomnography because there is convincing evidence that screening for OSA provides clinically relevant benefits in asymptomatic adults. * C. He should be told that there is uncertainty about the balance of the potential benefits and harms of screening for OSA in adults. * D. He should not be screened for OSA because he has no symptoms. * Which of the following statements about risk factors for OSA are correct? * A. Alcohol and sedative use have been shown to increase the risk of OSA. * B. Women who are postmenopausal are at increased risk of OSA. * C. Higher body mass index is associated with an increased risk of OSA. * D. Craniofacial abnormalities, including retrognathia, are associated with decreased risk of OSA. * Which one of the following statements about the epidemiology of OSA in the United States is correct? * A. The rate of progression from mild to moderate-to-severe OSA has been well characterized and established in clinical practice. * B. The current prevalence of mild OSA in the United States is estimated at less than 10%. * C. OSA is more common in women than in men. * D. The prevalence of OSA increases with age. The USPSTF identified a number of research gaps during its review of the evidence,2 including a lack of data on the natural history of OSA and progression rates from mild to severe OSA. Screening for obstructive sleep apnea in adults: evidence report and systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force [published correction appears in JAMA. 2017;317(12):1278].