Equality considerations
NICE is committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating unlawful discrimination and fostering good relations between people with particular protected characteristics and others.
Obstructive sleep apnoea is a common condition. Risk factors include increasing age, obesity and being male. Certain specific craniofacial characteristics, for example Pierre Robin syndrome or Treacher-Collins syndrome, and patients with Down's syndrome are more likely to have obstructive sleep apnoea. There are certain genetic disorders that predispose to obesity, for example Prader-Willi syndrome. Patients with certain congenital conditions may be considered to have a disability.