Drugs, driving and traffic safety in sleep apnea

Abstract

Sleep apnea affects 2-4 % of the population. It is characterised by repetitive episodes of brief upper airway obstruction during sleep, with associated arousal from sleep. Consequences of untreated sleep apnea include excessive daytime sleepiness and impaired cognitive functioning and driving performance. Sleep apnea is also associated with a number of co-morbidities, including hypertension, insomnia and cardiovascular disease. As such, many sleep apnea patients are on medications that can potentially affect their sleep apnea severity and daytime functioning, including driving performance. Centrally-acting depressant drugs, including alcohol, antihypertensives, narcotics and sedatives, can c..