Researchers analyzed prevalence studies from 16 countries, together
with data from the World Health Organization and United Nations World
Population Prospects
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
A new data analysis presented by ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) this week
at the ATS 2018 International Conference indicates that the prevalence
of sleep apnea impacts more than 936 million people worldwide – nearly
10 times greater than previous estimates.
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Woman wearing CPAP, the gold standard treatment for sleep apnea (Photo: Business Wire)
The study “Global Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)”
was conducted by an international panel of leading researchers seeking
to provide a clear scope of the impact of the chronic sleep-disordered
breathing condition. The previous estimation of OSA prevalence (100
million) came from a 2007 World Health Organization study that used
methods and data available at the time. By analyzing technology
improvements in detecting OSA and underreported statistics from other
areas of the world, this latest study depicts an impacted population
significantly larger than previously identified.
“The research and findings are a revelation in sleep apnea research and
represent a vastly underreported major public health issue,” said Adam
Benjafield, ResMed vice president of Medical Affairs and lead study
researcher. “This new study demonstrates a need for expanded awareness
around the diagnosis and treatment of OSA worldwide.”
Sleep apnea is a chronic disease that causes people to stop breathing
while they sleep. To avoid suffocation, the body is jolted by the brain
to take a breath, typically without the person ever being aware. This
cycle can repeat as many as hundreds of times a night, disrupting normal
sleep patterns. Life-threatening conditions associated with OSA range
from chronic daytime fatigue to heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes,
depression, and more. Previous studies have suggested that undiagnosed
sleep apnea costs nearly $150 billion in the United States alone as a
result of related lost productivity, motor vehicle accidents and
workplace accidents – an economic impact that’s likely much greater,
given a higher prevalence total.
“This study should encourage physicians to talk with their patients
about how sleep affects our overall health,” said ResMed Chief Medical
Officer Carlos M. Nunez, M.D. “It should also cause more people to ask
themselves, ‘Do I or my bed partner have this?’ Those who have sleep
apnea don’t often realize they have it and, therefore, don’t realize
they can do something to mitigate the resulting chronic fatigue or its
more harmful long-term health risks. And sleep apnea isn’t just a
disease for older, overweight men, as once thought. It affects people of
all ages, all ethnic and racial groups, all states of health, and is not
gender specific. In fact, nearly half of newly diagnosed patients are
female.”
About the study
In 2007, The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated more than 100
million people are affected by OSA, although they acknowledged that this
figure was not based on robust data.
The aim of this new study, “Global Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep
Apnea in Adults: Estimation Using Currently Available Data,” is to
estimate the global adult prevalence of OSA. Researchers identified 16
countries with published prevalence papers based on objective sleep
studies and applied findings to areas previously under-quantified. After
data review, estimates were extrapolated based on the global adult
population aged 30–69 years. Prevalence statistics were applied to
population numbers in each country based on the corresponding gender and
body mass index (a key risk factor for OSA). OSA prevalence was
estimated based on severity of the disease as measured by the
apnea–hypopnea index.
Convened by ResMed, the experts included representatives from North and
South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
About ResMed
ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD), a world-leading connected health company
with more than 5 million cloud-connected devices for daily remote
patient monitoring, changes lives with every breath. Its award-winning
devices and software solutions help treat and manage sleep apnea,
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory conditions.
Its 6,000-member team strives to improve patients’ quality of life,
reduce the impact of chronic disease and save healthcare costs in more
than 120 countries. ResMed.com
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Source: ResMed