Sleep Apnea Prevalent among the Non-Obese

Science Daily reports that at a recent meeting of sleep specialists, a study was presented that showed that 54% of non-obese patients test positive for some degree of obstructive sleep apnea. Whether "patients" translates into the general population or a certain class of patients in treatment for a condition is unclear. If it is the general population, the study results are extremely significant -- half of all non-obese people have some sort of sleep apnea:

Results confirmed that OSA in non-obese patients is most prevalent in middle-aged men with larger neck sizes. Fifty-four percent (2,906) of 5,426 non-obese patients were OSA positive, and most of them were middle age (57 percent). An equal number of patients had mild OSA (50.4%) or moderate to severe OSA (49.6%). Male prevalence and neck size were significantly higher in the group with moderate to severe OSA.

A press release from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, from where the Science Daily article originated, indicates that those tested were patients at several different sleep centers between 2004 - 2008. Why they were at the sleep center is unclear; was it to be studied, or were they symptomatic? If they were just people off the street, the results would suggest that 54% of the general population has some sort of obstructive sleep apnea. If they had been referred to the sleep center for diagnosis/treatment, the results indicate that 54% of those exhibiting some symptom of sleep disorder has