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Sleep specialists currently use a measurement called the apnea hypopnea index, or the number of times a patient stops breathing per hour of sleep, to diagnose the severity of a patient’s sleep apnea. But the index, which is largely based on data from men, does not predict risk well in women.
This new study found that, in addition to how many breathing interruptions occur, how long each one lasts is also important. Patients with the shortest apneas were 31 percent more likely to die during the study’s decade of follow-up with participants. This held true for both male and female participants.
Currently, the best sleep apnea treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine. But some patients find the machine – which requires wearing a mask during sleep – uncomfortable and choose not to use it, particularly if their apnea is not severe.
This new research could help physicians give better-informed treatment recommendations. For example, it may be beneficial to encourage both men and women with short breathing interruptions to use a CPAP machine – even if they only have mild or moderate sleep apnea.