Skip to Content

Costly OSA: CDC enlists AASM in raising awareness

Costly OSA: CDC enlists AASM in raising awareness

DARIEN, Ill. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded a grant to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for a new awareness program focused on improving recognition of obstructive sleep apnea. 

Nearly 30 million American adults have OSA and 80% are undiagnosed, costing the U.S. more than $149 billion annually in increased health care and mental health care costs, lost work productivity and increased accidents, according to a press release. 

“Millions of Americans don’t even know they have sleep apnea, which puts them at greater risk for other health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and depression,” said Dr. Raman Malhotra, president of the AASM. “This grant from the CDC will support education and outreach to improve sleep apnea awareness so that people can get the treatment they need to sleep better and enhance their quality of life.” 

The grant was awarded through the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion as part of the “Expanding the National Approach to Chronic Disease Education and Awareness” funding opportunity. The AASM will receive approximately $327,000 in the first year of funding. 

The project, which will span three years, aims to increase awareness of obstructive sleep apnea among public health professionals, health care providers and the public, and to support the sleep health objectives of Healthy People 2030, the nation’s 10-year public health plan, which includes the objective, “Increase the proportion of adults with sleep apnea symptoms who get evaluated by a health care provider.” 

The AASM is partnering with several other specialty medical societies that have members who are active in the delivery of clinical care for obstructive sleep apnea, including the Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners and the National Sleep Foundation. 

Comments

To comment on this post, please log in to your account or set up an account now.