Occurrence in the population | Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Occurrence in the population

About 4% of men and 2% of women over 40 years of age suffer from sleep apnea syndrome and with increasing age the disease becomes more frequent. The majority of patients are overweight.

Which patients are affected? patient profile:

Men are affected far more often than women. In addition, about 2/3 of those affected are overweight, whereby the overweight (obesity) can also be a consequence of the nocturnal apnea. Congenital or acquired obstacles in the upper airways, such as polyps, nasal septum curvature, enlarged tonsils or a large lower jaw angle (dolichofacial face type) also cause the disease. Alcohol consumption in the evening or the intake of some sedative or sleep medication, which leads to a nightly slackening of the throat muscles, are further causes.