G Pillar and P Lavie
Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.

Several reports have suggested a genetic importance in the pathogenesis of the sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). In this study, all adult (> 16 yr of age) offspring of 45 randomly selected parents with previously diagnosed SAS were asked to undergo a whole-night polysomnographic study. One hundred and five of 120 candidates participated in the study (66M:39F), with a high rate of compliance. Forty-seven percent of the offspring (36 males and 13 females; mean age, 32 yr) were found to have SAS. These results appear considerably higher (p < 0.001) than the common estimation of the prevalence of SAS in the population (4%). Another 21.9% of the offspring were "simple snorers" (17 males and 6 females; mean age, = 26 yr). Thirty-one percent were unaffected (13 males, 20 females; mean age, 29 yr). Only 16% of males over 35 yr of age were unaffected. In the single family studied in which both parents were affected, all three of their children (sons) had SAS: two grandsons older than 16 yr were simple snorers. Considering the well- established prevalence of SAS in the general population (1 to 4%), these results may suggest that SAS is an inherited syndrome.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. Sonnesen, N. Petri, I. Kjaer, and P. Svanholt Cervical column morphology in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnoea Eur J Orthod, July 22, 2008; (2008) cjn028v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. J. Eckert and A. Malhotra Pathophysiology of Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea Proceedings of the ATS, February 15, 2008; 5(2): 144 - 153. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. H. J. Won, K. K. Li, and C. Guilleminault Surgical Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Upper Airway and Maxillomandibular Surgery Proceedings of the ATS, February 15, 2008; 5(2): 193 - 199. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				V. Y. Polotsky and C. P. O'Donnell Genomics of Sleep-disordered Breathing Proceedings of the ATS, January 1, 2007; 4(1): 121 - 126. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. I. Pack Advances in Sleep-disordered Breathing Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 1, 2006; 173(1): 7 - 15. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. R. Patel Shared genetic risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea and obesity J Appl Physiol, October 1, 2005; 99(4): 1600 - 1606. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. R. MAGLIOCCA and J. I. HELMAN Obstructive sleep apnea: Diagnosis, medical management and dental implications J Am Dent Assoc, August 1, 2005; 136(8): 1121 - 1129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Guilleminault, J. H. Lee, and A. Chan Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, August 1, 2005; 159(8): 775 - 785. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Whitsett, C. J. Bachurski, K. C. Barnes, P. A. Bunn Jr., L. M. Case, D. N. Cook, D. Crooks, M. W. Duncan, L. Dwyer-Nield, R. C. Elston, et al. Functional Genomics of Lung Disease Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol., August 1, 2004; 31(2/S1): S1 - S81. [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Ovchinsky, M. Rao, I. Lotwin, and N. A. Goldstein The Familial Aggregation of Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, July 1, 2002; 128(7): 815 - 818. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. CARMELLI, D. L. BLIWISE, G. E. SWAN, and T. REED Genetic Factors in Self-reported Snoring and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness . A Twin Study Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., September 15, 2001; 164(6): 949 - 952. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. HUNT Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and Other Causes of Infant Mortality . Diagnosis, Mechanisms, and Risk for Recurrence in Siblings Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 1, 2001; 164(3): 346 - 357. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F McNamara and C E Sullivan Paediatric origins of adult lung diseases bullet 3: The genesis of adult sleep apnoea in childhood Thorax, November 1, 2000; 55(11): 964 - 969. [Full Text]

				E. O. Bixler, A. N. Vgontzas, H.-M. Lin, T. Ten Have, B. E. Leiby, A. Vela-Bueno, and A. Kales Association of Hypertension and Sleep-Disordered Breathing Arch Intern Med, August 14, 2000; 160(15): 2289 - 2295. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. GROTE, T. PLOCH, J. HEITMANN, L. KNAACK, T. PENZEL, and J. H. PETER Sleep-related Breathing Disorder Is an Independent Risk Factor for Systemic Hypertension Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 1999; 160(6): 1875 - 1882. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				K.G. van Houwelingen, R. van Uffelen, and A.C.M. van Vliet The sleep apnoea syndromes Eur. Heart J., June 2, 1999; 20(12): 858 - 866. [PDF]

				K. Narkiewicz, P. J. H. van de Borne, C. A. Pesek, M. E. Dyken, N. Montano, and V. K. Somers Selective Potentiation of Peripheral Chemoreflex Sensitivity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Circulation, March 9, 1999; 99(9): 1183 - 1189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. G. Tankersley, C. O'Donnell, M. J. Daood, J. F. Watchko, W. Mitzner, A. Schwartz, and P. Smith Leptin attenuates respiratory complications associated with the obese phenotype J Appl Physiol, December 1, 1998; 85(6): 2261 - 2269. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. REDLINE, J. LEITNER, J. ARNOLD, P. V. TISHLER, and M. D. ALTOSE Ventilatory-control Abnormalities in Familial Sleep Apnea Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., July 1, 1997; 156(1): 155 - 160. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				E. O. BIXLER, A. N. VGONTZAS, T. TEN HAVE, K. TYSON, and A. KALES Effects of Age on Sleep Apnea in Men . I. Prevalence and Severity Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., January 1, 1997; 157(1): 144 - 148. [Abstract] [Full Text]