Mixed sleep apnea, also called complex sleep apnea is a mixture of central sleep apnea (CSA) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Typically, it is characterized by symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea that may then lead to the appearance of central sleep apnea symptoms. However, it not unusual to have central sleep apnea be the main cause and have obstructive sleep apnea as a secondary outcome. Mixed sleep apnea, accounts only for 15% of sleep apnea cases.

There are several identified risk factors for complex sleep apnea including obesity, being male, having a family history of sleep apnea and excess alcohol and/or drug use. As with other forms of sleep apnea, mixed sleep apnea can be diagnosed by the use of a polysomnography (PSG) test, a sleep study conducted by a doctor or sleep specialist inside a sleep apnea clinic.

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