Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a combination of obesity, unexplained daytime hypercapnia, and sleep-disordered breathing. It is associated with such symptoms as dyspnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, and impaired cognition. The disorder can result in pulmonary hypertension, severe hypoxemia, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure, and increased mortality. While the etiology is still incompletely understood, the combined effects of obesity, sleep-disordered breathing, and altered leptin levels all likely interact to result in a decreased ventilatory drive. Standard treatment consists of positive airway pressure (continuous positive airway pressure or bi-level positive airway pressure) combined with long-term weight management.