Comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Part 1. General issues

The problem of comorbidity, defined as the concomitant presence of several diseases that mutually affect each other, is becoming increasingly urgent in modern medicine. The increase in the number of patients with comorbidity is associated with the prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases along with increasing longevity and lifestyle changes. One of the most important and not thoroughly studied diseases in terms of comorbidity is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is not only common in the population of developed countries but also has a significant impact on the severity and prognosis of comorbidity. Materials and methods. We conducted a systematic search in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and CyberLeninka databases (2014—2024) for keywords related to OSA and comorbidity. Relevant sources were selected manually by the authors based on the analysis of the title, abstract, and full-text content of the papers. Objective. To summarize modern views on the problem of comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, focusing on the analysis of specific pathophysiological mechanisms of the two-way relationship of this condition with specific diseases. Results. This article presents the first part of the review, which focuses on the background of comorbidity in patients with OSA. In particular, some aspects of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of OSA, the relevance of studying sleep disorders in terms of their role in the structure of global health, and the morbidity of the population are discussed. The general mechanisms of the pathogenetic relationship of OSA with other diseases are described. Conclusion. The global relevance of obstructive sleep apnea as one of the serious and common diseases that play a crucial role in the development of comorbidities is emphasized. The need for further detailed study and development of comprehensive interdisciplinary approaches to the diagnosis and management of this condition to improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients was justified.