Obstructive sleep apnea is a widely prevalent chronic disease that raises long-term cardiovascular, metabolic, and health risk. This session will examine the question of whether treating sleep apnea can prevent later health problems.

We will review:

- the biologic rationale for intervention
- what is clearly improved by treatment such as symptoms, function, safety, and blood pressure
- evidence for prevention of major health events such as myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and mortality.

The session will conclude with practical counseling points and key research gaps to explore during future sleep apnea prevention studies.

Sleep disorders frequently coexist, and persistent symptoms may reflect a comorbid condition rather than failure of treatment for the initially identified disorder. This session will provide a practical framework for recognizing and managing three common clinical challenges: insomnia, central sleep apnea, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Faculty will emphasize how to identify these conditions in patients already undergoing evaluation or treatment for sleep-disordered breathing, distinguish overlapping symptoms, and select appropriate next diagnostic and therapeutic steps.

At the conclusion of the session, participants should be able to:

1. Recognize clinical features suggesting comorbid insomnia, central sleep apnea, or excessive daytime sleepiness.
2. Differentiate persistent symptoms related to inadequately treated primary sleep disorders from those caused by a separate comorbid condition.
3. Describe appropriate diagnostic and treatment strategies for insomnia, central sleep apnea, and residual excessive daytime sleepiness.