How Common is Sleep Apnea?

So, how common is sleep apnea?  Obstructive sleep apnea is thought to affect approximately 4% of men, and 2% of women.  In one particular study, for those people above 18 years of age, obstructive sleep apnea developed in 1.5% of the volunteers, per year, over a five year period.  Due to the population becoming more obese can be attributed to the increase in how common sleep apnea is in the modern climate, as obesity greatly increases the effects of sleep apnea.  The most concerning statistic is the fact that of all sleep apnea sufferers, only 10% are receiving treatment.

From all the research done in this field, it has been concluded that some groups of people are more likely to develop sleep apnea than others.

• Before the age of 50, men are more likely to suffer from obstructive sleep apnea than women.
• After the age of 50, the risk of developing sleep apnea becomes the same for both genders.
• 70% of obese patients have obstructive sleep apnea.
• 30-50% of cardiac patients have obstructive sleep apnea.
• 60% of stroke patients have obstructive sleep apnea.
• One recent study revealed that 14% of NFL players, and 34% of NFL linemen suffer from sleep apnea.
• African-Americans have a 2.5 times greater risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea than Caucasians.
• In India, 7.5% of the male population suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.

These figures illustrate how common the sleep apnea disorder actually is on a global scale.