WVU in the News: Sleep Apnea Screenings for Hospitalized Patients

Despite growing evidence that sleep apnea contributes to cardiovascular disease and can even make it worse, about 50% to 77% of hospitalized patients remain undiagnosed, according to a West Virginia University expert on sleep disorders.

Working with colleagues in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Dr. Sunil Sharma, N. Leroy Lapp Professor and chief of the Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine in the WVU School of Medicine, developed guidelines that can reduce deaths and improve quality of life for those with sleep apnea. He will present those guidelines in his role as chair of the 2026 symposium of the American College of Chest Physicians.