Not everyone who snores has Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), but it is a key symptom. The clinical difference with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), is that the snoring is accompanied by short pauses and people stop breathing because the airway collapses or is blocked.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

The most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) which occurs when the muscles in the back of the throat fail to keep the airway open, despite efforts to breathe. The breathing pauses occur repeatedly during sleep and last at least ten (10) seconds at a time for a minute or longer. In recent years, there is mounting data where obesity and obstructive sleep apnea sit at the epicenter and its control can lead to improvement and prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Symptoms related to sleep or screening for sleep apnea have been overlooked by cardiac, diabetic, pulmonary, and general medicine clinics despite recommendations for screening by several societies.

OSA was Found in Over 70% of Type 2 Diabetics in a Meta-Analysis, Therefore Clinicians Should Consider Treatments for Patients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3449487

Data has been in the scientific literature for several years, indicating the associations of OSA with almost any disease like glaucoma, end-stage renal disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, stroke, depression, obesity, and DM. OSA has also be identified in non-obese patients and children with enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Moreover, the treatment has led to improvements in the underlying condition [36-38]. Early diagnosis and treatment of OSA will help in preventing the increased morbidity and mortality associated with those conditions. Studies have shown that improvement in ejection fraction, carotid intimal thickening and benefits in coronary artery disease, maintenance of sinus rhythm from A-Fib after cardioversion, and improvement in insulin resistance while untreated OSA is associated with an increased risk of death.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment of OSA can Significantly Reduce Morbidity and Mortality Risks