Survey Identifies Major Obstacles to Treating Snoring

A national survey conducted by ProSomnus, a developer of intraoral medical devices for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in partnership with Prodege, a consumer marketing and insights platform, identified the major obstacles to treating snoring and OSA, including a lack of awareness of where to seek medical advice.

Key findings of the survey of 1,000 people 18 years and older include:

• 41% of survey participants snore or know someone who snores
• 74% know snoring is an indicator for OSA
• 54% are aware that OSA is associated with comorbidities such as heart failure, stroke, and diabetes
• 71% of snorers have never consulted a healthcare professional about their snoring
• 58% of snorers do not know which type of healthcare professional to talk to about sleep issues
• 70% of snorers report that they have not been treated
• 74% of snorers interfere with someone else’s sleep
• 72% of snorers interfere with their own sleep
• 57% of snorers are unaware that it is possible to be tested for OSA at home
• 94% of snorers who have used CPAP identified specific issues, and 37% stopped using it

“Inaction among snorers, despite strong awareness that snoring is linked with OSA and comorbidities, is one of the novel and alarming findings from this survey. The survey results indicate that snorers do not know which type of medical practitioner to consult and have trepidations about the testing and treatment options presented to them,” says Len Liptak, CEO of ProSomnus, in a release. “Snorers are largely unaware of convenient home sleep testing options and patient-friendly, efficacious, and safe non-CPAP treatments, such as precision oral devices.”

In addition to daytime sleepiness, OSA is associated with serious comorbidities, including heart failure, stroke, hypertension, morbid obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

“It is well established that CPAP compliance is low and that there is a need for safe, effective, and easy alternatives. ProSomnus has demonstrated that precision oral appliances, delivered by trained dentists, are a reimbursed, scalable, fast-growing, and patient-preferred option,” says Laing Rikkers, executive chair of ProSomnus, in a release. “The Prodege survey shows that more education is required, and ProSomnus is committed to raising awareness in the clinical community, as well as in the general population to help accelerate getting patients into treatment for this serious condition.”

The online survey was conducted from April 17-20, 2023, using Prodege’s artificial intelligence-enabled, DIY programming solution, Pollfish, among 1,000 individuals demographically representative of the general US population.

Source: Sleep Review