MORGANTOWN – WVU medical researchers are developing a home sleep apnea testing device that could open doors for more to get tested – benefiting them as patients, along with the healthcare community and the public in general. The device pairs a fingertip clip that resembles a pulse oximeter and a slim, flexible black plastic wristwatch connected by a short cable. (Because it’s patented and still in development, and the market is competitive, photos of it were not permitted.
) “It’s a very ordinary looking device, because we didn’t want to make it too intimidating for the patient,” said Dr. Sunil Sharma, division chief of the Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program in the WVU School of Medicine, who led the team to develop it. It’s estimated, he said, that 80% of apnea cases go undetected and unresolved.
It’s more magnified in West Virginia, which ranks low on heath metrics across the board, and where geography and other factors hinder access to care. Not to mention sleep testing in sleep labs is expensive, he said. “Anytime these factors conspire against the patient, the disease is missed.
” In ostructive sleep apnea, the airways partially or completely collapse resulting in a decrease in oxygen saturation. Symptoms include loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, but many people are asymptomatic. And sleep apnea and lack of sleep can worsen comorbid conditions – heart disease, stroke, afib, diabetes.
So apnea going undiagnose.
