One in five people may be suffering from ‘dangerous’ sleep disorder

About one in five people may be suffering with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a condition that often makes individuals snore loudly, according to a new study.

People with the condition often wake up several times in the middle of the night as their breathing starts and stops during sleep.

Researchers said OSA can cause people to feel tired and may also increase their risk of high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

While some treatments and lifestyle changes have been proven to help people with the condition, the new study published recently in the journal ERJ Open Research, suggested that only a small proportion of people with OSA have been diagnosed and are receiving help.

In the study, scientists, including those from the University of Paris-Cité in France, assessed data on over 20,100 French adults.

They assessed how many of the participants had been diagnosed with the condition and analysed how many of them may have undiagnosed OSA, using a questionnaire.

They then used the data to calculate the proportion of the French population likely to be affected by OSA.

The study found about one in five, or just over 20 per cent of the participants, were highly likely to have the condition.

Scientists, however, said only 3.5 per cent of the participants were being treated for the condition.

OSA was found to be more common in men and among people who were older, had cardiovascular disease, lower socioeconomic status or were less physically active.

The condition was also more prevalent among smokers and in people with symptoms of depression.

Women are also at a higher risk of going undiagnosed with OSA, said scientists.

“We know that OSA is a major health hazard but if patients are diagnosed with the condition, they can be given treatments and advice to mitigate the risks,” study lead author Pauline Balagny said in a statement.

“Our study suggests that OSA is common, but the majority of those affected do not know they have the condition. Our findings are in line with research in other countries which suggest that OSA is becoming more common,” Dr Balagny said.

Citing one of the limitations of the study, scientists said the analysis relied on a questionnaire to gauge the likelihood of OSA instead of testing participants in a sleep clinic.

However, the strength of the research lies in assessing data from a large group of people representative of the French population, they said.

The findings highlighted that many people with OSA are not aware that their snoring and sleepiness are signs of deeper problems.

“We need to raise awareness of OSA because once people are diagnosed, they can be given treatment and advice to help lower their risk of other serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes,” said Winfried Randerath, a sleep disorder expert from the European Respiratory Society, who was not involved in the study.

“Although OSA is more common in men, this study indicates that we also need to get better at spotting the condition in women,” Dr Randerath said.