VA sees sharp rise in sleep apnea cases

VA sees sharp rise in apnea cases

By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : Monday Jun 7, 2010 10:42:20 EDT

WASHINGTON — The number of veterans receiving disability benefits for a sleeping disorder has increased 61 percent in the past two years and now costs taxpayers more than $500 million per year, according to Veterans Affairs data released to USA Today.

More than 63,000 veterans receive benefits for sleep apnea, a disorder that causes a sleeping person to gasp for breath and awaken frequently. It is linked to problems ranging from daytime drowsiness to heart disease. The top risk factor for contracting the disorder appears to be obesity, though a sleep expert at the VA and a veteran’s advocacy organization cite troops’ exposure to dust and smoke in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq as contributing factors.

More claims are likely to be made in the future as Baby Boomers age and get heavier, says Max Hirshkowitz, director of the Sleep Disorder Center at the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Veterans are four times more likely than other Americans to suffer from sleep apnea, Hirshkowitz said.

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VA sees sharp rise in apnea cases/