Finding hidden obstructive sleep apnea in primary care
Official title: Undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Primary Care Clinics
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11164765 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses electronic health records and machine learning to find people seen in primary care who likely have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $794,859 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL175579-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11164765 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who receive primary care at participating clinics and have electronic health records there—especially those with snoring, daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, or other related conditions—are the main candidates for identification.
✕Less likely to help
People without records in the participating clinics' EHRs, those already diagnosed and treated for OSA, or patients outside the study sites are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you get care at a participating primary care clinic, researchers will search routine electronic health records to identify signs that you might have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) even if you were never diagnosed. They will combine data such as diagnoses, symptoms, and related conditions with machine-learning tools to flag likely cases, including those with excessive daytime sleepiness linked to higher heart risks. The flagged cases will be compared to objective diagnostic information when available to estimate how often OSA is missed in routine care. The team will also look at patient, clinician, and clinic factors that make under-diagnosis more or less likely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help find people with undiagnosed OSA sooner so they can get proper testing and treatment and potentially lower their risk of heart problems.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies mostly used self-reported symptoms, but early work and preliminary data suggest that EHR-based algorithms and machine-learning approaches can help find undiagnosed OSA, although the methods are still being refined.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Magalang, Ulysses J — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Magalang, Ulysses J
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Primary Care Clinics
A study in primary care clinics to find out how common undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is and who’s at risk, using existing electronic health records to spot cases.
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Understanding undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea in primary care settings
This study is looking into how often obstructive sleep apnea goes undiagnosed in primary care clinics, aiming to find out why it might be missed and to help doctors catch it more often, so patients can get the care they need.
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Mechanisms of sex-specific responses to sleep apnea therapies
A research project at NYU School of Medicine is exploring how men and women may respond differently to treatments for obstructive sleep apnea and related heart risk.
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Deep learning to predict obstruction site and guide sleep apnea treatment
A patient-focused project uses snoring sounds and AI to predict where your airway collapses during sleep and to guide personalized treatments.
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Personalized DISE-guided surgery for sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome
A personalized surgical approach guided by DISE sleep-endoscopy is being tested to better treat sleep apnea in children with Down syndrome who don’t always improve after standard surgery.
-
Biomarkers to understand obstructive sleep apnea using microRNAs
A study at the University of Pennsylvania will look for microRNA signs in the blood that reflect how bad sleep apnea is and how well CPAP therapy works for patients.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.