Studies show that about 20% of adults in France may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but only a minority are diagnosed and treated. The study also found that OSA was more prevalent in certain demographics, such as men and the elderly, and that women were often undiagnosed.
According to a recent study published in ERJ Open ResearchIt is estimated that 1 in 5 people may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
People with OSA frequently experience symptoms such as loud snoring, pauses in breathing throughout the night, and repeated awakenings. Not only does OSA cause fatigue, it can also increase your risk of serious health problems such as high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Treatment and lifestyle changes can help OSA patients. But new research also suggests that only a minority of people are diagnosed with symptoms of OSA and are being treated for it.
The study included data from 20,151 French adults. The researchers recorded the number of participants diagnosed with OSA. They also used a questionnaire to measure the number of participants who might have her undiagnosed OSA. The questionnaire focused on heavy snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness (the two most common symptoms of OSA), high blood pressure, and obesity.
The researchers used this data to calculate the percentage of the French population likely to be affected by OSA. They found that about 1 in 5 people (20.2%) were likely to have OSA, while only 3.5% were receiving treatment for OSA.
OSA was more common in older men.[{” attribute=””>cardiovascular disease, lower socioeconomic status, or were less physically active, in smokers, and in people with symptoms of depression. Women were at a higher risk of going undiagnosed with OSA.
The study was led by Dr. Pauline Balagny from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Paris-Cité, France. She said: “We know that OSA is a major health hazard but if patients are diagnosed with the condition, they can be given treatments and advice to mitigate the risks. Our study suggests that OSA is common, but the majority of those affected do not know they have the condition.
“Our findings are in line with research in other countries which suggest that OSA is becoming more common.”
A key strength of this research is that it is based on a large group of people who are representative of the French population. A weakness is that the study relies on a questionnaire to gauge the likelihood of OSA, rather than testing participants in a sleep clinic.
Professor Winfried Randerath, Head of the European Respiratory Society’s Assembly on sleep-disordered breathing, who was not involved in the research said: “This research suggests that many people with OSA are not aware that their snoring and sleepiness are signs of a problem. We need to raise awareness of OSA because once people are diagnosed, they can be given treatment and advice to help lower their risk of other serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. Although OSA is more common in men, this study indicates that we also need to get better at spotting the condition in women.”
Dr. Balagny and her colleagues will continue to study the links between OSA symptoms and cardiovascular diseases. They are also investigating whether screening for OSA could help heart attack patients.
Reference: “Prevalence, treatment and determinants of obstructive sleep apnoea and its symptoms in a population-based French cohort” by Pauline Balagny, Emmanuelle Vidal-Petiot, Adeline Renuy, Joane Matta, Justine Frija-Masson, Philippe Gabriel Steg, Marcel Goldberg, Marie Zins, Marie-Pia d’Ortho and Emmanuel Wiernik, 10 May 2023, ERJ Open Research.
DOI: 10.1183/23120541.00053-2023
The study was funded by Recherche Hospitalo-Universitaire iVASC.
