Despite that fact that many people are unaware that they suffer from sleep apnea, the condition can have serious consequences for their health. It is also not difficult to treat. The aim of the study was therefore to gather up-to-date scientific information about how often sleep apnea, the commonest form of which is Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) caused by obstruction of the upper airway, occurs. For decades, a high incidence of sleep apnea under-diagnosis has been suspected by doctors and scientists. The study was therefore designed to identify the number of people who were suffering from the condition but were unaware of it and not receiving treatment for it.

Never before has research into sleep apnea been conducted among such a large group of people. 29% of all Philips employees in the Netherlands took part in the study, comprising men and women of different ages and levels of education, with different types of job and different cultural backgrounds. Previous screening studies were based on considerably smaller populations. For example, an often cited study published in 1993 examined a group of 602 people [1]. It was estimated in this study that 2% of women and 4% of men in the middle-aged work force suffer from sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is a condition in which a person's breathing either pauses or becomes extremely shallow during sleep, with a frequency varying from five to more than thirty times an hour. According to Dr. Michiel Eijsvogel, pulmonologist at the Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital, who was involved in the study, many people suffer from sleep apnea without being aware of it.

"That's more dangerous than you might think," he says. "Due to the disruption it causes to their sleep patterns they get less rest at night, become tired, are sleepy during the day, perform increasingly poorly at work and have a quick temper. They often attribute symptoms to stress or pressure. The disorder increases their chances of suffering from high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so it is very important that these people get help. Through this study we will find out more about the nature and extent of the disorder. This has positive consequences for people with sleep apnea. By increasing awareness of the characteristics of the condition, patients and family physicians may react more alertly to symptoms, resulting in faster referral and treatment."

Piet-Heijn van Mechelen, Chair of Dutch patient organization ApneuVereniging and Project Leader for the survey, is pleased that the study has produced clear results.

"Hundreds of thousands of people have symptoms but don't know what the problem is," he says. "This study provides valuable new insights into how often the condition occurs. And with the new screening method that was developed for this study, sleep apnea can be identified at an earlier stage and the quality of life of patients suffering from the condition can be greatly improved with treatment."

"Philips' involvement in this study was driven by good employment practice," says Hans de Jong, CEO of Philips Benelux. "With this study we are investing in the health and well-being of our employees, because serious health problems may be prevented, which is also in our interest as an employer. After being diagnosed with sleep apnea, they can be treated very effectively, with relatively simple means. Moreover, we believe that we have made an important social contribution by increasing knowledge about sleep apnea, which is of great value to science, doctors and patients worldwide."

Philips has a leading position worldwide in products designed to help people get a good night's sleep by treating their sleep disorders. Collaboration with scientists, hospitals and patient organizations is important for developing innovative healthcare solutions.

The sleep survey took almost two years to complete and consisted of two phases: a preliminary survey to develop and validate a new scientific questionnaire, followed by the main survey. In addition to Philips, ApneuVereniging, University of Twente, and Medisch Spectrum Twente Hospital, who initiated the study, five partner organizations were also involved in the survey: HumanCapitalCare Arbozorg, health insurer VGZ, the Netherlands Sleep Institute, the University Hospital Antwerp (Belgium), and Witten/Herdecke University (Germany).

1. The occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults; Young T., Palta M., Dempsey J., Skatrud J., Weber S., Badr S.; 1993.

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About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2012 sales of EUR 24.8 billion and employs approximately 118,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming, home and portable entertainment and oral healthcare.