Obstructive Sleep Apnea: CPAP Under Pressure As New Market Segments Awaken

An estimated 15 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea severe enough to warrant treatment, but this field has been chronically underserved by traditional continuous positive airway pressure systems that are inconvenient and uncomfortable to use. To address this problem, CPAP manufacturers are making design improvements to optimize comfort and compliance; at the same time, promising new technologies are emerging – including neurostimulation devices for OSA – that could help reshape the future management of this often overlooked, but serious disorder.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic and potentially serious sleep disorder that afflicts approximately 9% to 24% of men and 4% to 9% of women aged 30 to 60 years in the US, according to the Wisconsin Cohort Study, a longitudinal study that has been ongoing since 1988. Associated with increased mortality and a variety of serious health conditions, OSA is at a critical juncture in terms of its need for patient-compliant treatment options.

OSA is characterized by a decrease or complete halt in airflow while sleeping, despite an ongoing effort to breathe. It...

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