Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is a form of sleep disordered breathing.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome: Extra weight makes it difficult to expand the chest when breathing.

It is not fully understood why some obese people develop obesity hypoventilation syndrome while others do not.

It has been linked to many disorders such as obesity hypoventilation syndrome, atelectasis and pulmonary embolism, adverse cardiovascular effects, and wound healing complications.

But people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or obesity hypoventilation syndrome may also need to use assisted ventilation.

Also known as obesity hypoventilation syndrome, it was first described in the medical literature in the 1950's and is now a widely recognized complication of morbid obesity.

Asthma Breathing difficulty Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

Body mass index Obesity Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)

The exact prevalence of obesity hypoventilation syndrome is unknown, and it is thought that many people with symptoms of OHS have not been diagnosed.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is defined as the combination of obesity, hypoxia during sleep, and hypercapnia during the day, resulting from hypoventilation.

Positive airway pressure, initially in the form of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), is a useful treatment for obesity hypoventilation syndrome, particularly when obstructive sleep apnea co-exists.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome is associated with a reduced quality of life, and people with the condition incur increased healthcare costs, largely due to hospital admissions including observation and treatment on intensive care units.

Most people with obesity hypoventilation syndrome have concurrent obstructive sleep apnea, a condition characterized by snoring, brief episodes of apnea (cessation of breathing) during the night, interrupted sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

Interstitial lung disease, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis Sarcoidosis Obesity, including obesity hypoventilation syndrome Scoliosis Neuromuscular disease, such as muscular dystrophy or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (also known as Pickwickian syndrome) is a condition in which severely overweight people fail to breathe rapidly enough or deeply enough, resulting in low blood oxygen levels and high blood carbon dioxide (CO) levels.

Chronic respiratory acidosis also may be secondary to obesity hypoventilation syndrome (i.e., Pickwickian syndrome), neuromuscular disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and severe restrictive ventilatory defects as observed in interstitial fibrosis and thoracic deformities.

The discovery of obesity hypoventilation syndrome is generally attributed to the authors of a 1956 report of a professional poker player who, after gaining weight, became somnolent and fatigued and prone to fall asleep during the day, as well as developing edema of the legs suggesting heart failure.