Obstructive sleep apnea, which can shorten life expectancy and cause serious health problems, is often undiagnosed and untreated in adults over the age of 50, led by researchers at the University of Florida School of Medicine. suggested in a study.
Lead author Dr. Christopher Kaufman, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Health Outcomes and Biomedical Informatics, said the study highlights the need to identify strategies that can address this inequity nationwide. said.
“The discovery of undiagnosed and untreated obstructive sleep apnea in this population is particularly alarming,” said Kaufmann, who is also a faculty member at the UF Institute on Aging. Older people are at higher risk of various adverse health effects.”
The University of Florida School of Medicine is part of UF Health, the university’s academic health center.
A paper examining health disparities in this condition was published March 3 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
“There is increasing recognition that health disparities in sleep apnea are not only related to facial and skull structure, or obesity,” says New York University’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. Professor Atul Malhotra, M.D., said. California, San Diego, and senior author of the study. “Environmental factors such as diet, exercise and air pollution may also play a role.”
Kaufman and his collaborators used data from more than 9,000 adults aged 50 and over from the 2016 Health and Retirement Survey. This is a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States. That study reported a variety of participant characteristics, including the presence of obstructive sleep apnea. medical history, if any; socioeconomic status; symptoms of sleep apnea; and demographics.
This study found that older adults with potentially undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea were more likely to be members of minority/ethno-racial groups. less education. low income; no health insurance; and being a man. This was compared with older adults who were diagnosed and treated.
The study found that uninsured people had a 90% higher risk of potentially undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.
Researchers found that an overwhelming majority, or 6,908 people, were evaluated for possible undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea. A small but significant number of over 1,000 had been diagnosed with sleep apnea but were not receiving treatment.
One potential risk for older adults is that those with obstructive sleep apnea are at higher risk of cognitive decline, Kaufman said.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder in which breathing stops and starts again during sleep, often when the muscles in the throat relax and block the airway. At worst, it happens to him over 30 times an hour.
Various factors can cause or contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. Obesity, old age, diabetes, asthma, and other characteristics increase risk. Untreated sleep apnea can reduce life expectancy because it causes complications such as cardiovascular problems, daytime fatigue, and cognitive problems.
“We need to raise public awareness of obstructive sleep apnea,” Kaufman said. “We have an eye on people who are highly vulnerable to the negative effects of obstructive sleep apnea and we must do everything we can to ensure that people are diagnosed and treated. it won’t.”
But the study found that the problem goes beyond just lack of health insurance, as people 65 and older are covered by Medicare. The study notes that people, especially in rural areas, often face barriers to preventive health services, such as travel distances to clinics and doctors.
As a matter of public policy, more resources need to be devoted to identifying and ultimately diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea in older adults, Kaufmann said.
“Older people are at risk of many adverse health effects,” Kaufman said. “We have to protect them from the negative effects of obstructive sleep apnea. education should be a major component of these efforts.”
Media contact: Matt Walker (mwal0013@shands.ufl.edu or 352-265-8395).