United States Department of Transportation
i
A Study of Prevalence of Sleep Apnea Among Commercial Truck Drivers [Final Report]
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2002-05-01
[PDF-8.11 MB]
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Abstract:The purpose of this study is: (1) to estimate the prevalence of sleep apnea among a high-risk sample of commercial drivers; (2) to examine the relationship in the high-risk sample between severity of sleep apnea and decrements in function related to driving tasks, and; (3) to develop a profile of the overall sample of commercial drivers with regard to their sleep apnea related characteristics and risks. This study, involving overnight laboratory testing of more than 400 subjects, was one of the largest sleep apnea studies ever conducted on any population. It revealed that sleep apnea is common among commercial drivers, but not as prevalent as indicated in some previous reports. Mild sleep apnea occurs in 17.6% of holders of commercial drivers licenses; moderate sleep apnea in 5.8%; and severe sleep apnea in 4.7%. Sleep apnea prevalence increases with age and with degree of obesity as measured by body mass index. Also, shorter average durations of nightly sleep are associated with higher prevalence of apnea. Subjects with sleep apnea and short duration sleep did not report higher levels of daytime sleepiness, but they did show deficits on all objective tests of alertness performance used in this study. Decrements in performance and excessive sleepiness were found in individuals with severe sleep apnea (apnea/hypopnea index >30 episodes/hour) and those sleeping less than 6 hours of night. In those tests affected by both factors, the effect on performance measures of these abnormalities is similar in magnitude. Overall, this study revealed sleep apnea to be a major concern for commercial motor vehicle driver health and alertness. Accordingly, FMCSA is planning programs to educate industry and drivers on sleep apnea risks.
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