New test for sleep condition linked to diabetes, stroke and heart disease

15 May 2024 , 13:05

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The new tests are set to be rolled out across the UK (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

New devices which can test whether an adult has obstructive sleep apnoea are set to be rolled out across the NHS after being recommended by the health spending watchdog.

In new draft guidance, the National Institute for health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommended five devices to diagnose and assess the severity of obstructive sleep apnoea hypopnoea syndrome. The condition is linked to serious health problems including blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart disease, and around five per cent of the UK population are believed to have it but are undiagnosed.

The new devices can be used at home while a person sleeps and do not require formal instructions from hospital staff on how to use them. They do not require cannulas inserted into the nose and are considered "less invasive, more comfortable to wear and easier to use", Nice said.

This could be important as tests results using current equipment which involves sleeping with a band around the chest and abdomen to measure movement, a small flow sensor in the nostrils and a blood oxygen monitor (oximetry) on the finger can be impacted by the person's discomfort wearing it.

Nice also said that oximetry tests can overestimate the levels of oxygen in the blood of people with black or brown skin. Experts from Nice have called for more research to determine the detection rates of the new tests based on skin colour. Mark Chapman, director of the health technologies programme at Nice, said: "Having obstructive sleep apnoea can cause serious health issues which could be managed if diagnosed and treated.

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"Many people don't even know they have this condition which is why it is important to be able to receive a diagnosis quickly and efficiently. It is promising that some of the new devices could have the potential to further improve detection of sleep apnoea for people with black or brown skin, but further evidence is needed to show this.

"Another added benefit to these new devices includes the fact they are less invasive, more comfortable to wear, and could cut waiting times because they are easier to use, thus speeding up diagnosis and freeing up clinician time."

The five recommended devices AcuPebble SA100; Brizzy; WatchPAT 300; WatchPAT ONE and NightOwl cost between £40 and £90 per device. The first three are also re-useable.

PA