Brain Sleep Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Atsushi Hirota, hereinafter referred to as "Brain Sleep") will strengthen collaboration with sleep specialists in order to promote the solution of sleep problems for Japanese people. As the first step, we will start joint research with Ohta General Hospital Memorial Research Institute Ohta Sleep Science Center (hereinafter referred to as "Ohta Sleep Science Center"), which boasts one of the largest numbers of SAS cases in the country, to build an algorithm for risk assessment of sleep apnea syndrome (hereinafter referred to as "SAS") * using AI image diagnosis. Through this joint research, we aim to help lead to appropriate treatment of SAS by focusing on "skeleton" in addition to "obesity" as a risk factor for SAS and proposing AI image diagnosis using facial photos taken with a smartphone or other device. Although SAS is a disorder with a large number of potential patients and a high health risk, it is not sufficiently recognized or treated, so we will raise awareness of SAS through this initiative and lead to the solution of sleep problems in Japan. *Sleep apnea syndrome is a sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by repeated apnea and hypopnea during sleep. One of the diagnostic criteria is an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), which is the combined number of apnea and hypopnea episodes per hour, of 5 or more. Background of the joint research In 2019, it is estimated that there are approximately 900 million SAS patients worldwide, and approximately 400 million patients with moderate to severe symptoms who require treatment. In Japan, the number of potential patients is increasing year by year, with an estimated 22 million potential patients and 9.4 million patients who require treatment. In addition, in our "Sleep Standard Deviation® Survey" that we conduct annually on 10,000 people, the percentage of people at high risk of SAS was 24.1% (1,221 people) for men and 12.3% (607 people) for women. Generally, SAS is more prevalent among middle-aged and elderly men, but the percentage of high-risk women was close to 50% of high-risk men. On the other hand, the survey also found that among high-risk SAS individuals, the percentage of those who have received treatment was only 6.1% compared to 18.2% for men. Based on these results, we believe that awareness of SAS among women is still lower than that of men. SAS develops due to the narrowing of the upper airway, which is the air passageway, so the most problematic risk factor is "obesity," and it is a sleep disorder that is generally thought of as a disease that affects middle-aged and elderly men. However, in addition to obesity, "skeletal structure" can also be a risk factor for the narrowing of the upper airway, and "skeletal structure" can be a major risk factor for Asians, including Japanese, who tend to have small jaws. In particular, women are more likely to have this tendency than men, and in fact, in clinical trials at the Ohta Sleep Science Center, there were more women with SAS due to "skeletal structure." However, no system has yet been established anywhere in the world to determine SAS risk from skeletal structure. Therefore, Brain Sleep will begin joint research with the Ohta Sleep Science Center, which is a frontline provider of SAS treatment, in order to clarify SAS risk due to skeletal structure. In this study, we aim to be able to determine the risk of SAS from skeletal data by using AI to analyze CT images from the Ohta Sleep Science Center, which boasts one of the largest numbers of SAS cases in the country, and the severity of SAS patients. Source: Lancet Respir Med VOLUME 7, ISSUE 8, P687-698, AUGUST 01, 2019 Future outlook We hope that by utilizing the results of this study, people will be able to easily find out their own SAS risk via a browser or app, enabling them to receive optimal treatment and prevention. Obesity is thought to be the main risk factor for SAS, but by showing the risk due to skeletal structure through this joint research, we hope to raise awareness that SAS is a disease that even thin people can develop due to the small jaws that are unique to Japan, and ultimately, that it is a disease that anyone can develop, thereby aiming to solve Japan's sleep issues. ■Joint research partner ( https://www.ota-sleep.com/ ) Company name: Ohta General Hospital Memorial Research Institute Ohta Sleep Science Center Address: 1-50 Nisshin-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, 210-0024
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