Estimation of the clinically diagnosed proportion of sleep apnea syndrome in middle-aged men and women

Sleep. 1997 Sep;20(9):705-6. doi: 10.1093/sleep/20.9.705.

Abstract

The proportion of sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in the general adult population that goes undiagnosed was estimated from a sample of 4,925 employed adults. Questionnaire data on doctor-diagnosed sleep apnea were followed up to ascertain the prevalence of diagnosed sleep apnea. In-laboratory polysomnography on a subset of 1,090 participants was used to estimate screen-detected sleep apnea. In this population, without obvious barriers to health care for sleep disorders, we estimate that 93% of women and 82% of men with moderate to severe SAS have not been clinically diagnosed. These findings provide a baseline for assessing health care resource needs for sleep apnea.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Sex Factors
  • Sleep Apnea Syndromes / diagnosis*
  • Sleep Apnea Syndromes / epidemiology