Is Race a Risk Factor for Sleep Apnea?

Some of you may have seen this recent New York Times article about sleep issues and race. Its conclusions echo a number of widely cited studies that found that the quality and duration of sleep for blacks, Asians and Latinos lags far behind those of whites in the same cities. Although the author gamely tries to tease out the various theories about what’s behind this disparity, ultimately the point is the consequences that follow:

Whatever the cause, doctors say that unlocking the secret to racial sleep disparities could yield insights into why people in some minority groups experience higher rates of high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Helping poor or immigrant populations to get more solid sleep, they say, could also help break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage.

I cannot say with any assurance that I have noticed an appreciable disparity in the race of patients who come to me seeking help with sleep-related issues. What I can say is that the amount of sleep we get can affect everything from our health to our IQ, and that popular procedures such as septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery are unusually effective at resolving these symptoms.

Here’s the point: no matter what race, color or creed you are, if you can’t sleep at night, the only color you might be seeing is red. Please call my LA sinus surgery offices today to make an appointment.

Tags: apnea, los angeles ent, race, sleep, snoring