Is obstructive sleep apnea a circadian rhythm disorder?

Šmon, Julija (author), Kočar, Eva (author), Pintar, Tadeja (author), Dolenc-Grošelj, Leja (author), Rozman, Damjana (author)

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder worldwide and remains underdiagnosed. Its multiple associated comorbidities contribute to a decreased quality of life and work performance as well as an increased risk of death. Standard treatment seems to have limited effects on cardiovascular and metabolic aspects of the disease, emphasising the need for early diagnosis and additional therapeutic approaches. Recent evidence suggests that the dysregulation of circadian rhythms, processes with endogenous rhythmicity that are adjusted to the environment through various cues, is involved in the pathogenesis of comorbidities. In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, altered circadian gene expression patterns have been demonstrated. Obstructive respiratory events may promote circadian dysregulation through the effects of sleep disturbance and intermittent hypoxia, with subsequent inflammation and disruption of neural and hormonal homeostasis. In this review, current knowledge on obstructive sleep apnea, circadian rhythm regulation, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders is summarised. Studies that connect obstructive sleep apnea to circadian rhythm abnormalities are critically evaluated. Furthermore, pathogenetic mechanisms that may underlie this association, most notably hypoxia signalling, are presented. A bidirectional relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and circadian rhythm dysregulation is proposed. Approaching obstructive sleep apnea as a circadian rhythm disorder may prove beneficial for the development of new, personalised diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic tools. However, further studies are needed before the clinical approach to obstructive sleep apnea includes targeting the circadian system.

• Language: English
• Keywords: obstructive sleep apnea, breathing disorder, circadian rhythms, chronotherapy, comorbidities, gene expression, hypoxia, molecular clock, sleep disorders
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 20 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 32, iss. 4, art. e13875
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-148261
• UDC: 616.2
• ISSN on article: 1365-2869
• DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13875
• COBISS.SI-ID: 145368323
• Publication date in RUL: 08.08.2023

ŠMON, Julija, KOČAR, Eva, PINTAR, Tadeja, DOLENC-GROŠELJ, Leja and ROZMAN, Damjana, 2023, Is obstructive sleep apnea a circadian rhythm disorder? Journal of sleep research [online]. 2023. Vol. 32, no. 4,  e13875. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. DOI 10.1111/jsr.13875. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=148261

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of sleep research
• Shortened title: J. sleep res.
• Publisher: Wiley, European Sleep Research Society
• ISSN: 1365-2869
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517774873

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: obstruktivna apneja v spanju, motnja dihanja, cirkadiani ritem