The number of patients with 'sleep apnea', who stop breathing repeatedly or irregularly while sleeping due to blocked airways, has significantly increased, but awareness of treatment remains low. Experts advise that poor sleep quality not only reduces concentration but is also linked to hypertension, diabetes, and dementia, highlighting the need for proactive treatment.
Philips Korea held a briefing on the 12th to mark 'World Sleep Day' (the second Friday of March each year) and released the results of a survey conducted by Korea Research targeting 2,000 men and women aged 16 to 69 from November 25 to December 6 last year.
According to the survey, a majority of respondents indicated that sleep is an important factor for physical health (86.5%) and mental health (84.6%), yet the average sleep time on weekdays was only 6.4 hours. The recommended sleep duration for adults is known to be 7 to 8 hours. The satisfaction rate with sleep was only 29.5%. It was found that 68.6% experienced disturbances in sleep due to symptoms such as insomnia (29.3%), snoring (24.7%), and sleep apnea (9.4%). Snoring is recognized as an early symptom of sleep apnea.
Poor sleep quality accumulates stress and reduces concentration. It is also associated with hypertension, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and stroke. Kim Hye-yoon, director of the Sleep Medicine Center at the International St. Mary's Hospital (and professor of neurology), noted during the briefing that "there's a condition called wake-up stroke, where individuals wake up with paralysis in their limbs," adding that many patients arriving in the emergency room due to wake-up strokes also have accompanying sleep apnea.
It is known that poor sleep quality can even increase the risk of developing dementia. When individuals do not get adequate sleep, waste products accumulate, including amyloid proteins that lead to Alzheimer's disease.
The number of sleep apnea patients in Korea is on the rise. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of sleep apnea patients in Korea has increased threefold from 40,067 in 2018 to 153,802 in 2023. The medical community in the U.S. and Korea recommends the use of a 'continuous positive airway pressure' (CPAP) device as the standard treatment for sleep apnea.
A CPAP device is a non-surgical treatment that helps expand narrowed airways through a mask during sleep. Currently, the use of CPAP devices is recommended as the standard treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in major countries, including the U.S. and Korea. Since there is no fundamental cure for sleep apnea, continuous use of a CPAP device is necessary.
Professor Kim Hye-yoon pointed out that "47.9% of snorers have never attempted treatment, and even when they do, it is mainly passive methods like nasal rinsing," emphasizing that snoring should not be taken lightly as it is an early symptom of sleep apnea. Professor Kim stated that "since sleep apnea cannot be fundamentally resolved through passive methods such as lifestyle changes, active approaches like using CPAP devices should be considered."
Philips Korea aims to raise public awareness of sleep apnea and strengthen marketing targeted at patients with sleep apnea.
Park Do-hyun, the Korean representative of Philips' Sleep and Respiratory Care Division, stated that "public awareness of sleep apnea has improved compared to the past; however, perceptions and accessibility regarding treatment and management are still weak," adding that they plan to open a brand store on the portal site Naver to expand touchpoints with patients and promote awareness of sleep apnea through various collaborations with medical experts and partners.
Philips, a global medical device corporation headquartered in the Netherlands, was established in 1891 and reported sales of 18 billion euros (approximately 26.9 trillion won) last year. Of this, the revenue from the Connected Care division, which includes the Sleep and Respiratory Care Division, accounted for 29% of total sales.
Shehaan Fernando, the Asia-Pacific representative, noted that "the global market for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 7.51% until 2030," adding that the Sleep and Respiratory Care Division of Philips will continue to strive for better quality of life for patients experiencing discomfort due to respiratory-related illnesses through various products and solutions, including CPAP devices and oxygen concentrators.