Risk factors

Anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea. However, certain factors put you at increased risk, including:

• Excess weight. Most but not all people with obstructive sleep apnea are overweight. Fat deposits around the upper airway can obstruct breathing. Medical conditions that are associated with obesity, such as hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome, also can cause obstructive sleep apnea.
• Older age. The risk of obstructive sleep apnea increases as you age but appears to level off after your 60s and 70s.
• Narrowed airway. You might inherit naturally narrow airways. Or your tonsils or adenoids might become enlarged and block your airway.
• High blood pressure (hypertension). Obstructive sleep apnea is relatively common in people with hypertension.
• Chronic nasal congestion. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs twice as often in those who have consistent nasal congestion at night, regardless of the cause. This may be due to narrowed airways.
• Smoking. People who smoke are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnea.
• Diabetes. Obstructive sleep apnea might be more common in people with diabetes.
• Sex. In general, men are twice or three times as likely as premenopausal women to have obstructive sleep apnea. The frequency of obstructive sleep apnea increases in women after menopause.
• A family history of sleep apnea. Having family members with obstructive sleep apnea might increase your risk.
• Asthma. Research has found an association between asthma and the risk of obstructive sleep apnea.