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World Sleep 2022 | AHI classification of obstructive sleep apnea
Winfried Randerath, MD, FCCP, Centre of Sleep Medicine and Respiratory Care, Solingen, Germany, discusses the relevance of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) index, the most used biomarker of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in classifying disease severity. The AHI index is included in many international guidelines and is also used to guide treatment. However, the use of this index is being discussed amongst sleep clinicians as research shows that the AHI does not reflect patient-related outcomes, comorbidities, and consequences of the disease. Therefore, there is a strong trend to switch AHI for more comprehensive diagnostic methods and criteria. This interview took place during the World Sleep Congress 2022 in Rome, Italy
Transcript
The AHI is the most used biomarker of obstructive sleep apnea. It is used in most national and international guidelines, and leads in these guidelines to classify the severity of the disease from mild to moderate to severe. However, it also guides treatment indication.
This has been a very important parameter for years and years. However, at the moment we are very intensively discussing this aspect, this problem, because there’s more and more knowledge that the AHI does not really reflect patient related outcomes and does not really reflect comorbidities and consequences of the disease...
The AHI is the most used biomarker of obstructive sleep apnea. It is used in most national and international guidelines, and leads in these guidelines to classify the severity of the disease from mild to moderate to severe. However, it also guides treatment indication.
This has been a very important parameter for years and years. However, at the moment we are very intensively discussing this aspect, this problem, because there’s more and more knowledge that the AHI does not really reflect patient related outcomes and does not really reflect comorbidities and consequences of the disease. Therefore there’s a huge trend to leave… to change the parameter from AHI to others.
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Disclosures
Funding from Bioprojet and Jazz
