Experts demand workplaces start screening employees for severe snoring problem which is ‘undiagnosed in 85 per cent of sufferers’

People who could harm others due to excessive daytime sleepiness should be screened for obstructive sleep apnoea, claims a new study. 

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is believed to affect around one in five adults in the UK – around 10.8million – and the Sleep Apnoea Trust says of these, 3.9million cases could be defined as moderate to severe.

It is the most common form of sleep apnoea – when breathing stops and starts during sleep – and occurs when the throat walls relax and narrow, interfering with normal breathing, causing sufferers to wake up throughout the night gasping for air. 

Due to the affect on sleep, the condition can cause tiredness the next day – and in some extreme cases, people being unable to stop themselves from falling asleep. 

Publishing their findings in the journal Thorax, the UCL research team say employers should be screening workers who are most at risk of harm from the daytime sleepiness associated with the condition, including surgeons, professional drivers and carers. 

They argue that 85 per cent of sufferers remain undiagnosed, and those who experience daytime sleepiness are twice as likely to be injured at work. Furthermore, OSA could be costing the UK economy in excess of £4.2billion a year in lost productivity.

Whilst it has long been known those who experience tiredness as a result of a sleep disorder are likely to be less productive, researchers say four key developments have now made setting up a workplace screening worth serious consideration. 

Firstly, the report called on employers to recognise the potential dangers of those in high risk roles – such as drivers, construction workers, surgeons and people caring for vulnerable children and adults – working whilst sleep deprived.

This, they suggested, could put other people’s as well their own lives at risk. 

They also highlighted that screening could be rolled out at low cause, using wireless connectivity home testing devices to screen patients for sleep disorders. 

There is also now better understanding and a wider variety of treatments for the disorder. 

Historically, most OSA patients will be advised to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, which gently pumps air into a mask worn over the patient’s mouth or nose whilst they sleep. 

This helps improve their breathing and in doing so the quality of their sleep, helping them feel less tired during the day. It also reduced the risk of problems linked with condition, such as high blood pressure. 

But many will express difficulty using the device, and struggle to wear it every night – meaning problems often persist. 

The researchers highlighted, there are now other effective treatments for OSA, including weight loss jabs, mouth guards, and implants to stimulate the tongue nerve. 

‘Our analysis, though limited to small subset of related costs, highlights that the broader workplace productivity burden of the OSA likely exceeds the direct costs of screening and effective treatment in both the UK and the USA,’ the researchers wrote. 

‘Given the significant yet often overlooked burden of OSA syndrome and its economic impact, we urge policy makers to allocate resources towards developing an effective screening strategy and implementing targeted public health campaigns and policies.’

They added that early detection and treatment of the condition could result in ‘substantial savings potentially amounting to billions of pounds annually.’   

However, there is some pushback against workplace screening, with experts suggesting that a successful programme would have to offer some form of employment guarantee – as workers may fear being penalised if their condition deteriorates. 

 ‘Ultimately, the way to test whether workplace screening would be a worthwhile strategy would be to select an occupation in which OSA is prevalent and has severe consequences,’ the researcher said. 

‘One could then see whether relevant outcomes, such as road traffic accidents and absenteeism are clinically and statistically significantly different in a screened group compared with a standard care group. 

‘We suggest the time is now approaching for such a trial,’ they concluded. 

Responding to the findings, the Sleep Apnoea Trust said: ‘It is very important that workplaces support their employees by not penalising them if they come forward, and that employers make the necessary adjustments while employees go through the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

‘The trust welcomes consideration of screening programmes, and this raises the challenge to boost funding of existing and emerging treatments to meet the increased demands on services from screening.’