Everyday Health: The rates of sleep apnea seem to be rising — why? What are the dangers of sleep apnea?

David O. Volpi, MD, FACS (nycsnoringsleepapneacenter.com)

It’s believed that sleep apnea is rising as our population is seeing an increase in the rate of obesity. It’s known, for example, that obesity in our children is occurring at a higher rate than ever before, and we see the rate of sleep apnea increasing in children as well. Sleep apnea can lead to hypertension, arrhythmia, and other issues of the heart, such as increased blood pressure, lung dysfunction, and stroke. It is a very serious condition that needs medical attention.


That the rate of sleep apnea seems to be rising is much more a function of expanding knowledge of the illness and its identification than increasing prevalence. The major danger of sleep apnea is that you are waking up to breathe, which causes severe daytime impairment. The other danger is the development of cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure and then heart attack.

Russell Rosenberg, PhD (sleepfoundation.org)

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic sleep disorder that is characterized by snoring, pauses in breathing during sleep, and moderate to severe daytime sleepiness. The rates of this common disorder are about 5 percent for men over age 45 and 2 to 3 percent for women ages 45 or above. Obesity is a significant risk factor for OSA, and rates for this disease have been on the rise over the past 10 years. However, a normal weight man or woman may also have sleep apnea due to a variety of reasons —genetics, a narrow air passage, etc. Individuals with sleep apnea are at a higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, more physicians are now recognizing the serious health consequences of sleep apnea and are directing patients to a sleep center to get treated.

Scott Eveloff, MD (somnitech.com)

The prevalence of sleep apnea is indeed increasing. The increase in obesity, a major risk factor for sleep apnea, is one reason. Doctors are becoming better at suspecting sleep apnea and referring for it, and testing is becoming much more available and accurate.

Conrad Iber, MD (hcmc.org/sleep)

Sleep apnea causes safety issues and health issues and can reduce your quality of life. Patients with sleep apnea are much more likely to make mistakes or fall asleep driving, and some are more likely to have cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and may die at an earlier age.

John K. Mori, MD (sleepcenterinfo.com)

The prevalence of sleep apnea is increasing in large part due to the increasing rate of one of the major sleep apnea risk factors: obesity. Untreated sleep apnea contributes to an increased risk of many other health problems including hypertension, stroke, and heart disease. Another major danger of untreated sleep apnea is increased rate motor vehicle accidents due to sleepiness.