Car crash risk increased by sleep apnea says study

Sleep apnea increases the risk of being in a car crash.



That's what an article in Science Daily says. The article talks about a new study by the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and University of British Columbia.

The Science Daily articles writes that the study "found that patients with sleep apnea are three to five times more likely to be in a serious car crash involving personal injury. Using data from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, researchers studied nearly 1,600 people including patients with and without sleep apnea." (Source: Science Daily)

The article goes on to discuss how sleep apnea patients are unaware of their sleepiness and how it impacts their driving.

This is one of many articles that omits a key factor: treatment. Are the sleep apnea patients in the study getting treatment?

Unfortunately, accessing the full research study costs money so taking an educated guess is the next best alternative. It seems common sense that patients who respond to treatment for sleep apnea would suffer less from the symptoms.

If a doctor prescribes using a CPAP, the resulting night time breathing should be much better than without treatment. Therefore, symptoms like daytime sleepiness would be minimized. That's just a guess.

Sources:

University of British Columbia. "Sleep Apnea Doubles Car Crash Risk, Study Shows." ScienceDaily 20 February 2008. 24 February 2008

An abstract and the full study appear in the journal called Thorax Journal.