New Analysis Shows Sleep Apnea More Common in Americas than Previously Thought
June 10 2019 - 09:00AM
Business Wire
- 170 million people in North and South
America have sleep apnea, ResMed study finds
- Researchers urge more screenings and
cloud-connected treatment devices to curb growing health
crisis
ResMed (NYSE: RMD) (ASX: RMD) revealed roughly 170 million
people across North and South America have sleep apnea, according
to a study it presented at the annual SLEEP meeting hosted by the
American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research
Society.
The study, a deeper analysis of ResMed’s 2018 finding that 936
million people worldwide have sleep apnea, concludes that:
- 170 million people in North and South
America (37 percent of adults) have sleep apnea, based on the AASM
2012 criteria – a “conservative” estimate.
- 3 countries with the highest number of
cases are the United States (54 million), Brazil (49 million), and
Colombia (11 million).
Sleep apnea is a chronic disease in which people stop breathing
for 10 seconds or more throughout the night, repeatedly waking to
breathe and prevent suffocation. While sufferers rarely remember
waking up, the disruptive cycle causes chronic sleep deprivation,
which is linked to daytime fatigue, increases the risk in road and
workplace accidents, and is common among people with other diseases
like heart failure, high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2
diabetes.
“Previous estimates stated 100 million worldwide have sleep
apnea. Now we know it’s nearly double that in just the Americas
alone,” said study coauthor and ResMed Chief Medical Officer Carlos
M. Nunez, M.D. “Given how common sleep apnea is, especially among
people with other common diseases, doctors should screen their
high-risk patients and help those who are diagnosed get onto
life-changing treatment as soon as possible.”
The gold standard treatment for sleep apnea is a positive airway
pressure (PAP) device that prevents the intermittent suffocation
associated with sleep apnea by blowing a mild stream of air into
the upper airway to keep it open and maintain breathing during
sleep.
PAP devices that are cloud-connectable, enabling remote and
self-monitoring, have shown to raise adherence rates above 80
percent, compared to roughly 50 percent on non-cloud connected
devices.
“Digital health can show patients how well they’re doing on
treatment, coach them on how to improve, and motivate them by
celebrating milestones they’ve reached,” Nunez said. “These
features all help drive patient adherence, which is critical if
we’re going to help millions reduce the short- and long-term risks
associated with sleep apnea.”
About ResMed
At ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) we pioneer innovative solutions
that treat and keep people out of the hospital, empowering them to
live healthier, higher-quality lives. Our cloud-connected medical
devices transform care for people with sleep apnea, COPD and other
chronic diseases. Our comprehensive out-of-hospital software
platforms support the professionals and caregivers who help people
stay healthy in the home or care setting of their choice. By
enabling better care, we improve quality of life, reduce the impact
of chronic disease and lower costs for consumers and healthcare
systems in more than 120 countries. To learn more, visit
ResMed.com and follow @ResMed.
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