User:Divemaster26/Sleep apnea

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Sex

The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is estimated to be 4% in middle-aged men and 2% in middle-aged women. Women experience less severe OSA than men. Women that are premenopausal experience lower rates of OSA, along with postmenopausal women that have received hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). Population-based studies show that the prevalence of OSA is 2-3 times higher in males than females.

Age

The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study estimated in 1993 that roughly one in every 15 Americans was affected by at least moderate sleep apnea. It also estimated that in middle-age as many as 9% of women and 24% of men were affected, undiagnosed and untreated.

The costs of untreated sleep apnea reach further than just health issues. It is estimated that in the U.S., the average untreated sleep apnea patient's annual health care costs $1,336 more than an individual without sleep apnea. This may cause $3.4 billion/year in additional medical costs. Whether medical cost savings occur with treatment of sleep apnea remains to be determined.