Do You Snore?

Until recently, most primary-care physicians had no idea that three simple words could change their approach to treating some of the nation's top killers: stroke, hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. But thanks in part to the nation's leading sleep-product manufacturers, physicians are beginning to understand the far-reaching implications of sleep-disordered breathing. The question, “Do you snore?” now is standard fare in examining rooms from Tampa to Topeka, as millions of Americans are waking up to the importance of uninterrupted sleep.

The tip of the sleep-market iceberg is protruding from the water, but to uncover the market's true depths, manufacturers must address three obstacles to growth: awareness, diagnosis and compliance.

By some estimates, there are as many as 10 million undiagnosed sleep apnea sufferers in the United States. Light sleepers who are chronically tired, many of these people dismiss their snoring as an annoyance. Their physicians, who spent little time studying sleep-disordered breathing in medical school, often do not connect these symptoms to the patients' other medical problems, and obstructive sleep apnea goes untreated. To avoid this scenario, companies like ResMed, Respironics, Sunrise and Fisher & Paykel are launching innovative programs to raise awareness among both clinicians and consumers.

However, teaching patients and clinicians about the dangers of OSA is only the beginning, the manufacturers say. The logical next question is, “How will the market diagnose all those who need to be tested?” With greater awareness comes greater demand, yet some diagnostic labs already are reporting month-long waiting lists of potential OSA sufferers who need a sleep test.

Additionally, despite data that suggests continuous positive airway pressure therapy is safe and effective, many patients give up on treatment within the first two weeks, citing discomfort and inconvenience.

Such are the challenges inherent in a young and promising market, sleep-product manufacturers say. To address these challenges, manufacturers must become teachers, consumer advocates, researchers and innovators. Ron Richard, ResMed's vice president of marketing for the Americas; Bill Post, president of Respironics' home care division; Nick Macmillan, global sleep products manager for Sunrise/Devilbiss; and Steve Moore, director of marketing at Fisher & Paykel; explain below why their companies are up to the task.

HomeCare: How is your company serving as an advocate and teacher in the sleep-products market?