Sleep Apnea Statistics - Age And Weight Are Important Factors

Quiet as it's kept, factors about snoring, obstructive breathing disorders, and sleep apnea statistics and research tell a revealing story about just how prevalent apnea and other sleep disorders  really are. The following research statistics about apnea were gathered from the NHLBI, the NWHIC, Hospital Episode Statistics, and the Department of Health - and the weight of these numbers are nothing short of staggering.

Essentially, sleep apnea is the direct diagnosis of obstructive breathing pressure in addition to a slight disruption in heart activity. Defined in medical research journals, sleep apnea is a diagnosis of transient cessation in respiration. And in layman's terms, it's a short period in which its victims (typically over-weight) stops breathing. Some of the factors leading to sleep apnea are heavy weight, while other factors point to a lack of proper oxygen intake and an obstructive airway.

Between 2002 and 2003, an estimated 18 million Americans experienced a sleep apnea episode, however an estimated 2-4% of those episodes went undiagnosed by a medical professional. 11,714 of these victims sought medical treatment in a hospital (6% were emergencies) while 98% of those visits required admission for 1 to 2 days.

If you're wondering which gender that a diagnosis of sleep apnea applied to the most, the answer is overwhelmingly men, at 74%. Both genders however reigned at 43 years of age, while 62% of these episodes occurred in patients between the age of 15 years and the age of 59 years.

See Also: Symptoms and Treatment for Sleep Apnea

About The Author:
Nicole Miller is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.sleep-disorders-help.com.