High Altitude Central Sleep Apnea: Diagnosis and Treatment

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating central sleep apnea at high altitudes with expert Dr. David McCarty.

In this episode of Talking Sleep, host Dr. Seema Khosla welcomes Dr. David McCarty, a sleep physician based in Colorado and Chief Medical Officer for REBIS HEALTH, to discuss the unique challenges of diagnosing and treating central sleep apnea at high altitude. Living and practicing sleep medicine in Colorado has given Dr. McCarty extensive experience managing altitude-related central sleep apnea, a condition that affects many residents and visitors to elevated regions. The conversation begins with fundamental questions: Is central sleep apnea normal at altitude? What physiological mechanisms drive its development? Dr. McCarty explains the prevalence patterns across different elevations, from Denver's mile-high altitude to extreme elevations like 10,000 feet, and whether there's a threshold where everyone develops central events. Practical diagnostic considerations receive detailed attention: Should patients be tested at their home altitude? How are titration studies conducted in high-altitude settings? What testing equipment best identifies central apneas, and should central hypopneas be scored? Dr. McCarty discusses the high prevalence of treatment-emergent central sleep apnea…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Seema Khosla

Guest: Dr. David McCarty

Topics covered

• central sleep apnea
• high altitude
• diagnosis
• treatment
• sleep medicine
• physiological mechanisms

Keywords

• central sleep apnea
• high altitude
• diagnosis
• treatment
• sleep medicine
• physiological mechanisms
• titration studies
• EPR
• TECSA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: REBIS HEALTH

Places: Colorado, Denver

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