Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a medical disorder affecting, 4% of men and 2% of women worldwide. This syndrome characterized by repetitive reductions of airflow during sleep due to the collapse of the pharyngeal airway, causing loud snoring, brief awakenings, hypoxemia and elevated blood pressure.
Millions of sleep apnea patients suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness, headaches and hypertension. There is growing evidence that chronic sleep apnea runs in families, and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Sleep apnea is relatively unknown, with only about 15% diagnosed so far.