This is an engaging article that may help raise awareness of sleep apnea and the types of problems it may cause. The presentation of a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device as a non-surgical intervention that can be quite helpful is accurate, though a more balanced view would have included some discussion of the difficulties that many have in being able to use these devices to obtain the benefits mentioned in the story.
The costs associated with CPAP technology are not presented. No discussion of costs of sleep lab evaluation. No discussion of insurance coverage for these approaches.
Estimates of benefits are presented in general terms , e.g.,”I sleep better”, and “I no longer snore”. But an expectation for the size of the benefits obtained, how reproducible they are, and the time needed to realize them is not presented.
Early in the story, the CPAP machine is described as looking like Darth Vader on life support. This at least helps with a reasonable image of what the “simple” device looks like.
Although health and quality of life claims are made, there is no mention of the type of evidence to support the anecdotal stories presented.
Estimate presented for >12 million afflicted with sleep apnea though most are undiagnosed.
There are quotes from three different health care providers who work in the area of sleep medicine; there are also several quotes from people who have experienced benefit from the use of CPAP.
Article make clear that lifestyle changes, weight reduction, and surgery are other methods that are available and used to help manage this condition.
Article does not mention that CPAP devices are FDA approved for the treatment of sleep apnea. However, it is clear that it is a readily available treatment.
The story doesn’t claim that this is a new treatment. Neither does it explain that it’s been in use for a long time. The use of constant positive airway pressure (CPAP), a device used to treat obstructive sleep apnea is not new. Such devices, initially used with neonates, begun being used in this adult population in the 1980s.
There is no evidence that this story relied solely or largely on a news release.
Systematic, Criteria-Driven
Monday at #ADA2021, an infectious disease epidemiologist, a journalist, and a researcher shared perspectives on communication of risk in the era of COVID-19: http://ow.ly/ROfR30rMeE7 @AstleyCM @garyschwitzer @berthahidalgo @ADA_DiabetesPro
Shoutouts to @susan_bewley @drkevinknopf @MichaelBaum11 in this call for more than fawning coverage from press releases for these kinds of stories.
Also, linked history inside goes back 5 years just on Grail apparently trying to become Holy Grail. https://twitter.com/garyschwitzer/status/1408849696416841731
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