Who suffers from Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome?
Although Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome is commonly associated with obesity, male gender and snoring, it affects a broad cross-section of the population including children. It is estimated that twenty-four percent of adult men and nine percent of adult women, or more than 20 million Americans, have some degree of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome. Of these, six million are estimated to have cases severe enough to warrant immediate therapeutic intervention. However, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome was not well understood or recognized by primary care physicians until recently and only a fraction of these 20 million Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome patients have been diagnosed and treated. With increased awareness, a growing number of new patients are expected to be identified for treatment in the next few years.
