Does Race Make a Difference in Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep-related breathing disorder, often associated with a compromised upper airway space and an increase in upper airway collapsibility. The anatomical and functional abnormalities of the upper airway play an important role in the pathogenesis of OSA. It is hypothesized that there is racial variation in the craniofacial characteristics among OSA patients. However, inter-race comparisons based on previous studies can be problematic due to variation in measurements, OSA definitions and the sample size. Besides, to our best knowledge, there is no studies that made direct inter-race comparisons in the upper airway anatomy. Therefore, studies on inter-race comparisons of the upper airway characteristics are needed to further understand the role of race in the upper airway anatomy of the OSA patients. This would provide more insights into the pathophysiology of OSA, and could result in the development of new effective treatment strategies for OSA patients.