Discriminating the severity of pharyngeal collapsibility in men using anthropometric and polysomnographic indices

Although obstructive sleep apnea results from the combination of different pathophysiologic mechanisms, the degree of anatomical compromise remains the main responsible factor. The passive pharyngeal critical closing pressure (Pcrit) is a technique used to assess the collapsibility of the upper airway and is often used as a surrogate measure of this anatomical compromise. Patients with a low Pcrit (ie, less collapsible airway) are potential candidates for non-continuous positive airway pressure therapies. However, Pcrit determination is a technically complex method not available in clinical practice. We hypothesized that the discrimination between low and high Pcrit can be estimated from simple anthropometric and polysomnographic indices.