Obstructive sleep apnea is the most prevalent of sleep disordered breathing.
Its reported prevalence varies widely depending on:
- demographics of the population studied
- the definition of the disorder
- the method of diagnosis
The estimates of mild obstructive sleep apnea are in the range of 1 in 4 males and 1 in 10 females in the general population.
Moderate obstructive sleep apnea estimates are in the range of 1 in 9 males and 1 in 20 females.
Globally, 100 million people are thought to have the condition, with an overwhelming 80% of them remaining undiagnosed.
