•One third of the US population suffers from sleep disorders

•40 million individuals are chronic sufferers

•Less than 10% have been diagnosed or treated to date

•As defined by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, ‘sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep—repeated episodes of no breathing for at least 10 seconds at a time’.

•OSA - 20 million

–Compare with :

• Asthma - 10 M

• Diabetes - 16 M

• More Common in males than females

• Progressively worsens with age

• Progressively worsens with increasing weight

 

•Snoring and Sleep Apnea

–More than 40% of adults over 40 snore

–87 million Americans snore

–45 million snore every night

–9% of men and 4% of women have OSA

–4% of men have OSA symptoms

–2% of women have OSA symptoms

Clinical

•Reduced quality of life and cognitive performance

•Up to 10 times higher frequency of automobile accidents

•Increased cardiovascular disease

•Increased mortality

 

Economical

•Individuals with undiagnosed sleep disorders are heavy users of medical services

•Direct expenditures (sleep studies and therapies) >$5 billion per year

•Total annual cost (including medical & indirect expenses) $60 - $115  billion

 

 

•Obesity

•Increasing Age

•Male Gender

•Anatomic Abnormalities of Upper Airway

•Family History

•Alcohol or Sedative Use

•Smoking

•Hypertension

•Snoring: Intermittent with pauses

•Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS)

•Awakenings with gasping or choking

•Fragmented, non-refreshing, light sleep

•Poor memory, clouded intellect

•Irritability, personality changes

•Decreased sex drive, impotence

•Morning headaches

•Gastro-esophageal reflux (GERD)