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Medical Author:

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Siamak T. Nabili, MD, MPH

Dr. Nabili received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), majoring in chemistry and biochemistry. He then completed his graduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His graduate training included a specialized fellowship in public health where his research focused on environmental health and health-care delivery and management.

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Medical Editor:

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD

Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

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In this Article

• Sleep apnea facts
• What is sleep apnea?
• What are the types of sleep apnea?
• What is central sleep apnea and what causes it?
• What is obstructive sleep apnea and what causes it?
• How common is obstructive sleep apnea?
• What are obstructive sleep apnea symptoms?
• What are some of the complications of sleep apnea?
• How is obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed and evaluated?
• What are the nonsurgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea?
• What are the surgical treatments for obstructive sleep apnea?
• Why is it important to treat obstructive sleep apnea?
• Patient Comments: Sleep Apnea - Symptoms
• Patient Comments: Sleep Apnea - Effective Treatments
• Find a local Sleep Specialist in your town
• Sleep Apnea Index

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to affect about 4% of men and 2% of women. In one study of people over 18 years of age, obstructive sleep apnea was estimated to develop in 1.5% of people per year over the 5 year study. It is probably more common than either of these numbers because the population is becoming more obese, and obesity worsens obstructive sleep apnea. More shocking is the estimate that only 10% of people with obstructive sleep apnea are currently receiving treatment and many patients with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed.

Some groups are more likely to develop obstructive sleep apnea.

• Men are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea than women before age 50.
• After age 50, the risk is the same in men and women.
• Among obese patients, 70% have obstructive sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea worsens in severity and prevalence with increasing obesity.
• Among patients with heart disease 30% to 50% have obstructive sleep apnea, and among patients with strokes, 60% have obstructive sleep apnea.
• A recent study estimated that 14% of NFL football players and 34% of NFL linemen have obstructive sleep apnea.
• African-Americans have a 2.5 times greater risk of obstructive sleep apnea than Caucasians. In India, 7.5% of males have obstructive sleep apnea. Chinese males have a 4% prevalence and Chinese females a 2% prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. This is interesting because the prevalence is similar to American Caucasians, but the Chinese population is generally smaller and less obese than the general American population. Therefore, something besides obesity must be the explanation for obstructive sleep apnea in the Chinese population. We do not understand the reasons for these differences, but studies are ongoing to better define the risks.
• The prevalence of sleep apnea in nonobese and otherwise healthy children younger than 8 years old is somewhere between 1% to 3%. Obstructive sleep apnea may develop in children of all ages, even in infants. Prematurely born infants are at a higher risk to develop sleep apnea.