The study included 26 patients presenting typical symptoms of sleep apnea. Ten patients were diagnosed to suffer from NARES (mean age 56.8 +/- 12.5, body mass index [BMI] 29.3 kg/m(2) +/- 2.8; 9 men:1 woman) and were compared with 16 age- and BMI-matched individuals (mean age 58.8 +/- 11.6, BMI 29.7 kg/m(2) +/- 3.8, 16 men) without any nasal inflammation, such as allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, nasal polyposis, or vasomotor rhinitis. All patients were tested by polysomnography for an OSAS.