The Hyperflexible People Who May Help Unlock Better Sleep Apnea Treatments
1 min read
Summary
Millions of people suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that causes frequent pauses in breathing and can lead to daytime fatigue and potentially dangerous health complications.
While it’s most common in men, in 2023 Florida-based sleep medicine doctor Mitchell Miller saw a young patient with the condition who didn’t fit the usual profile.
She was a woman in her 30s with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a group of genetic disorders that causes heightened flexibility, and Miller realized this made her more likely to suffer from sleep apnea.
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is estimated to affect 1.5 million people worldwide, but the connection with sleep apnea is less well known.
Miller was able to treat the patient with a device that stimulates a nerve in the chest, preventing the tongue from blocking the patient’s airway during sleep.
The device can be controlled via a remote and has given the patient a complete resolution of her sleep apnea.
