Research

Mixed

The prevalence of moderate to severe sleep-disordered breathing (AHI ≥15) in US adults aged 30-70 increased substantially between 1988-1994 and 2007-2010, driven by the obesity epidemic.

If you snore loudly, feel excessively sleepy during the day, or have been told you stop breathing during sleep, get evaluated. The risk of having sleep-disordered breathing is higher than previously thought, especially if you are overweight or over 50. It is a treatable condition that can prevent serious heart and brain health problems.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
These estimated prevalence rates represent substantial increases over the last 2 decades (relative increases of between 14% and 55% depending on the subgroup).
P. E. Peppard et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2013

Why this rating

Large cohort study (Wisconsin Sleep Cohort) with robust statistical modeling and extrapolation to national data (NHANES).

Source

Increased Prevalence of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Adults

P. E. Peppard et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2013

DOI 10.1093/aje/kws342

cohort · n=1520Cited 4,572×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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