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Obstructive Sleep Apnea in African Americans: A Literature Review

  • REVIEW
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and metabolic diseases. Obtructive sleep apnea disproportionately affects the African American community with reports of younger age of onset, increased severity of disease, and higher prevalence compared to Caucasians. The purpose of this review is to explore the degree to which heredity and social determinants of health affect obstructive sleep apnea prevalence, presentation, and outcomes.

Recent Findings

Recent studies have found obstructive sleep apnea characteristics in African Americans that informs putative mechanisms that drive the observed differences. These factors include reduced role of obesity, a tendency towards a lower respiratory arousal threshold, and the higher burden of inflammatory environmental exposures.

Summary

The difference in disease burden and adverse outcomes of obstructive sleep apnea experienced by African Americans is multifactorial and involves an intricate relationship between social determinants of health with genetic, anatomic, and physiologic factors. These influences have implications on the reliability of obstructive sleep apnea screening tools, disease presentation, and treatment success.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sleep Disorders Center, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Bianca Stewart, Pamela Barletta, Alexandre R. Abreu & Alejandro D. Chediak

  2. Louis Calder Memorial Library, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Barbara M. Sorondo

  3. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Jackson Health System, Miami, FL, USA

    Alexandre R. Abreu & Alejandro D. Chediak

Authors
  1. Bianca Stewart
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  2. Pamela Barletta
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  3. Barbara M. Sorondo
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  4. Alexandre R. Abreu
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  5. Alejandro D. Chediak
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Contributions

All authors met the four criteria for authorship established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors: Bianca Stewart, Pamela Barletta, Barbara Sorondo, Alexandre Abreu, and Alejandro Chediak were responsible for the conception, design, and drafting of the work; revision of the work, and review of the manuscript. All authors provided final approval of the version to be published and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring the accuracy and/or integrity of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alejandro D. Chediak.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Sleeping and Breathing

Appendix

Appendix

PubMed search strategy:

(("Blacks"[Mesh] OR "African American"[Title/Abstract] OR "African Americans"[Title/Abstract] OR black*[Title/Abstract]) AND ("Sleep Apnea Syndromes"[Mesh] OR "sleep apnea"[Title/Abstract] OR "sleep hypopnea"[Title/Abstract] OR "sleep-disordered breathing"[Title/Abstract] OR OSA[Title/Abstract] OR OSAS[Title/Abstract] OR SDB[Title/Abstract])) NOT ("Infant"[Mesh] OR "Child"[Mesh] OR "Adolescent"[Mesh] OR Child*[Title/Abstract] OR pediatric*[Title/Abstract] OR teen*[Title/Abstract] OR adolescen*[Title/Abstract] OR infan*[Title/Abstract] OR baby[Title/Abstract] OR babies[Title/Abstract] OR toddler*[Title/Abstract])

(All search strategies available upon request.)

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Stewart, B., Barletta, P., Sorondo, B.M. et al. Obstructive Sleep Apnea in African Americans: A Literature Review. Curr Pulmonol Rep 12, 16–21 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13665-023-00300-5

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