Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 May;7(5):920-9.
doi: 10.3978/j.issn.2072-1439.2015.04.52.

Epidemiological aspects of obstructive sleep apnea

John F Garvey  1 , Martino F Pengo  1 , Panagis Drakatos  1 , Brian D Kent  1
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiological aspects of obstructive sleep apnea

John F Garvey et al. J Thorac Dis. 2015 May.

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is probably the most common respiratory disorder, with recent data from the United States and Europe suggesting that between 14% and 49% of middle-aged men have clinically significant OSA. The intimate relationship between OSA and obesity means that its prevalence will only increase as the global obesity epidemic evolves. At an individual level, OSA leads to a significant decrease in quality of life (QOL) and functional capacity, alongside a markedly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Emerging data also suggest that the presence and severity of OSA and associated nocturnal hypoxemia are associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cancer. At a societal level, OSA not only leads to reduced economic productivity, but also constitutes a major treatable risk factor for hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. This article addresses OSA from an epidemiological perspective, from prevalence studies to economic aspects to co-morbidity.

Keywords: Sleep apnea; cardiovascular; economic; obesity.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. McNicholas WT, Bonsignore MR, Management Committee of EU COST ACTION B26. Sleep apnoea as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease: current evidence, basic mechanisms and research priorities. Eur Respir J 2007;29:156-78. - PubMed
    1. Kent BD, Ryan S, McNicholas WT. Obstructive sleep apnea and inflammation: relationship to cardiovascular co-morbidity. Respiratory physiology & neurobiology 2011;178:475-81. - PubMed
    1. Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, et al. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N Engl J Med 1993;328:1230-5. - PubMed
    1. Punjabi NM. The epidemiology of adult obstructive sleep apnea. Proc Am Thorac Soc 2008;5:136-43. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kapur VK. Obstructive sleep apnea: diagnosis, epidemiology, and economics. Respir Care 2010;55:1155-67. - PubMed