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Estimated Prevalence of Idiopathic Hypersomnia 1.5 Percent

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Dec 14, 2023.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 14, 2023 -- Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH) has an estimated prevalence of 1.5 percent, according to a study published online Dec. 13 in Neurology.

David T. Plante, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues used subjective and objective data from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study to identify cases with probable IH from 792 participants with polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test data.

The researchers identified 12 cases with probable IH resulting in an estimated prevalence of IH of 1.5 percent. Despite similar or longer sleep times, cases with IH had more severe sleepiness and sleep propensity. A chronic course of sleepiness was demonstrated for most of the cases with IH in longitudinal data (spanning 12.1 ± 4.3 years), though pathologic somnolence remitted in about 40 percent of the cases.

"Our results demonstrate that idiopathic hypersomnia is relatively common, more prevalent than generally assumed, so there is likely a sizable difference between the number of people with this disorder and those who seek treatment," Plante said in a statement. "Further efforts to identify, diagnose, and treat those impaired by idiopathic hypersomnia are needed. Additional research may also clarify the causes of idiopathic hypersomnia and lead to new treatments."

Two authors disclosed ties to biopharmaceutical companies, including Jazz Pharmaceuticals, which funded the study.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted December 2023

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