MONDAY, Oct. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — A common test used to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea may miss the condition in Black patients, potentially affecting important treatment decisions.
Sleep studies often use pulse oximeters — small devices that measure blood oxygen levels — to help determine the severity of sleep apnea.
In the new study, oxygen-based scoring counted roughly 20% fewer breathing events in Black participants than in white participants.
But heart-rate-based scoring showed no comparable racial difference.
The findings have "potential implications for diagnosis and severity classification," said first author Ali Azarbarzin, of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Mass General Brigham in Boston.
Earlier research showed pulse oximeters may be less accurate on darker skin. The study can't prove the device is the cause, though.
The researchers say a normal or borderline result in Black patients should be read carefully when symptoms or other conditions strongly suggest sleep apnea. That means loud snoring, gasping at night, daytime exhaustion or conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes.
"We are not suggesting different diagnostic thresholds based on race," Azarbarzin said in a news release. "Rather, we think the underlying measurements need to be accurate and reliable across all patients."
The study was published Nov. 4 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
More information
The Mayo Clinic has more on sleep apnea.
SOURCE: HealthDay TV, Nov. 5, 2026
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