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Study Suggests Truckers Be Screened, Treated For Sleep Apnea

BOSTON (CBS) -- A study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Morris, and Brigham and Women's Hospital and published in the scientific journal Sleep suggests truckers should be screened for sleep apnea and required to treat it in order to continue driving.

The study found that truckers with sleep apnea who did not follow their treatment had a five times higher rate of preventable crashes than truckers who didn't have the condition.

The study's lead author, Stefanos Kales, said those who did treat their sleep apnea showed the same risk level of those not afflicted by the condition.

"The drivers who had sleep apnea but fully complied with the company's mandated treatment, their risk of accidents was statistically indistinguishable from the control drivers," said Kales.

Those who suffer from sleep apnea experience disruption of sleep due to repeated starts and stops in breathing. Kales said experts believe that up to 20 percent of truck crashes are due to drowsy or fatigued drivers, and sleep apnea is the most common medical cause of drowsy driving.

"Oxygen levels to the brain and the heart are reduced throughout the night, so, during the day, persons tend to have decreased attention," said Kales.

Kayles says it isn't a stretch to say this could apply to others in the transportation business.

"We think the findings are really not only applicable to operators of large trucks and buses, but also to pilots, ship captains, rail operators, and operators of mass transit such as the T and other commuter lines," said Kales.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Diane Stern reports

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