Here’s some potentially interesting information that may pertain to those who have problems with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA): namely, seniors with this disorder have higher healthcare costs than do their counterparts without this problem, according to a recent report from Israel’s Soroka University Medical Center.
These experts said the increased healthcare costs may be due to cardiovascular illness and the use of psychoactive medications (for more information on this study, see the abstract in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society at http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01544.x.)
Dr. Ariel Tarasiuk and colleagues analyzed healthcare costs among 158 older (ages 67-89) and middle-aged (ages 40-64) adults during the two years prior to their being diagnosed with OSA. Patients with OSA were matched one-to-one with healthy controls according to age, sex, geographic area and primary physician.
Researchers found that healthcare costs were nearly two times as high for both sleep apnea groups as for those in the control groups. They also found that healthcare costs for elderly patients with OSA were nearly twice as high as those for middle-aged patients with OSA.
Remenber, CAREGivers from Home Instead Senior Care can help manage a loved one’s sleep apnea by being nearby when they sleep in the event they stop breathing, or to even help prop them up at night. You’ll sleep better knowing that we’re there to help keep watch at night. To learn more, visit our website at www.homeinstead.com/283.
Categories:
