The first report on healthcare utilization in women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) reports an increase in the years prior to the diagnosis of OSA, but then a decrease in the following two years. This conclusion demonstrates the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of OSA so that women can sleep better faster and, too, our healthcare system is less burdened.

Katsuhisa Banno, MD, and colleagues of the Sleep Disorders Center in St. Boniface General Hospital's Section of Respiratory Diseases studied 414 women with obstructive sleep apnea. According to the results, there was an increase in fees in the two years before, and a decrease in fees in the two years following, diagnosis. In addition, the number of physician claims in the two years preceding diagnosis rose, and then fell in the following two years. Furthermore, the number of clinic visits in the two years prior to diagnosis increased, and declined in the two years following diagnosis.

"Our results showed that sleep-clinic evaluation (correcting diagnosis and recommending treatment) in patients with OSA may lead to a significant reduction in physician claims and ambulatory clinic visits. Early diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may thus contribute to a significant cost savings to healthcare systems," the authors wrote.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airway. This keeps air from getting into the lungs. OSA afflicts an estimated 15 million to 20 million Americans, as well as millions more who remain undiagnosed and untreated.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the most common and effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, provides a steady stream of pressurized air to patients through a mask that they wear during sleep. This airflow keeps the airway open, preventing the pauses in breathing that characterize sleep apnea and restoring normal oxygen levels.