As GLP-1 use rises, so does awareness of sleep apnea, says Blackstone CEO

TAMPA, Fla. – With Novo Nordisk’s pill version of Wegovy now widely available, GLP-1 drugs are poised for even greater adoption. That surge is fueling awareness of the link between obesity and sleep apnea – and driving demand for sleep testing, says Vick Tipnes, CEO and founder of Blackstone Medical Services.

Fortunately, people recognize there's a connection between health concerns like being overweight and the risk of having sleep apnea – and that’s driving an uptick in sleep testing, says Vick Tipnes, CEO & founder of Blackstone Medical Services, a national provider of home sleep testing services. 

Tipnes spoke with HME News recently about the growing awareness of sleep apnea and his role as advocate for sleep. 

HME News: We hear a lot about the benefits of GLP-1s, especially for treating obesity. Is that driving more patients to seek sleep testing? 

Vick Tipnes: Whether you have AFib or drug-resistant hypertension or high blood pressure, sometimes there's an underlying case of sleep apnea. I think what's happening with the GLP-1s is that, obviously, you have patients that are suffering with obesity, and they're getting on the GLP-1s. But if you have an underlying sleep apnea issue, that could create a problem or an inability to really see results (from the GLP-1s). People are starting to realize that there's a connection there, and that's why I think we're also seeing an uptick in utilization of sleep testing, in general, in the country.  

HME: As an HST provider, do you feel it's important to educate referral sources on the importance of testing? 

Tipnes: Look, I think our job has always been to be an advocate for awareness, and our job and our salespeople's job is to really educate physicians on the benefits of screening. There are studies that are coming out in connection with (sleep) - whether it's drug resistance or AFib or GLP-1s, it relates to sleep apnea. So, we feel that educating the marketplace about the benefits of home testing is really kind of where it's at. We want to put as much information as we can out there. 

HME: Do you think we'll start to see an increase in the speed at which people get tested and treated for sleep apnea? 

 Tipnes: I would hope so. I think the awareness has really kicked up a lot in the last 24 months. I've seen a marked increase in awareness for it, and I run into people from time to time, and they'll start (talking) about their sleep. That wasn't happening five to 10 years ago. If you're not getting good sleep, it's hard to function during the day.