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WEDNESDAY, May 16, 2018 (HealthDay News) — A high risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among older adults but is seldom investigated, though when it is investigated, it is almost always confirmed, according to a study published online May 9 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Tiffany J. Braley, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues assessed the rate of evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of OSA among 1,052 community-dwelling older adults participating in the National Health and Aging Trends Study who were at risk for the condition.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that 56 percent of the participants who completed the sleep module were estimated to be at high risk of OSA. However, of these high-risk individuals, only 8 percent had been tested for OSA. Of those tested, 94 percent were diagnosed with OSA and 82 percent of those diagnosed were prescribed treatment with positive airway pressure.<\/p>\n
“These findings suggest a significant gap in OSA assessment for older Americans that could have public health implications,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
Two authors disclosed financial ties to biotechnology and medical device companies.<\/p>\n
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