High Risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the U.S. Population

In conjunction with Dr. Phillips’s presentation on RLS, David Hiestand, MD, PhD and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky reported his findings about the prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in the American population based on data from NSF’s 2005 Sleep in America poll. Dr. Hiestand assessed participants’ responses to the Berlin Questionnaire, a tool designed to measure snoring, daytime sleepiness and body mass index (BMI). Individuals with high scores in two or more of these areas were considered to be at "high risk" for OSA. According to Dr. Hiestand, the main findings showed that "risk factors for sleep apnea in the U.S. are alarmingly high and they appear to rise throughout adulthood, and then decline as individuals reach age 65. Additionally, chronic medical illnesses are associated with increased risk of sleep apnea."