Prevalence of treatment choices for snoring and sleep apnea in an Australian population

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of treatment and diagnosis of snoring and sleep apnea in the population of New South Wales Australia.

Methods: Postal survey of 10,000 people randomly selected from the electoral roll, half aged 18 to 24 and half aged 25 to 64, with telephone follow-up for some nonresponders. Weighted prevalences are reported.

Results: The overall response rate was 35.6% (18-24 n = 1421 and 25-64 n = 1879). One hundred and fifty-nine respondents reported seeking medical help for snoring or sleep apnea (6.3%, 95% confidence interval 5.46-7.12%), with 133 of these being aged 25 to 64. Fifty-one respondents reported subsequent treatment (2.0%; 95% CI 1.49-2.43), with some reporting more than 1 treatment. Continuous positive airway pressure was received in 17 cases, mandibular advancement splints in 9 cases, and upper airway or nasal surgery in 31 cases. Eighty-six reported receiving an overnight sleep study (polysomnography). Most surgical patients did not report having their sleep measured with a sleep study (22/31).

Conclusions: The population of New South Wales has had the longest potential exposure to continuous positive airway pressure. However, few of those in even the middle-aged group reported ever being recommended continuous positive airway pressure treatment. It is more common to have a surgical intervention for snoring or sleep apnea. Surprisingly, most surgical patients do not report any associated sleep study to quantify their snoring or sleep apnea or measure the efficacy of surgery. Since a substantial proportion of patients who experience snoring and sleep apnea are not assessed via a sleep study, it is necessary to increase awareness of undergoing such clinical procedures.

Figure 1

PSG refers to a sleep study that may not necessarily have been standard polysomnography; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; MAS, mandibular advancement splint or dental device/splint. Some patients received more than 1 treatment, which is why there are apparent addition errors. See the results section for a full breakdown of treatments received across the 2 age groups.