Babak Mokhlesi, Aiman Tulaimat
Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) consists of a combination of obesity and chronic hypercapnia accompanied by sleep-disordered breathing. During the last 3 decades, the prevalence of extreme obesity has markedly increased in the United States and other countries. With a global epidemic of obesity, the prevalence of OHS is bound to increase. Patients with OHS have a lower quality of life with increased health-care expenses and are at a higher risk for the development of pulmonary hypertension and early mortality compared to eucapnic patients with sleep-disordered breathing...
October 2007: Chest