Minority veterans in sleep care had lower odds of death
Among veterans with sleep apnoea, non-Hispanic Asian veterans had 0.30 times the odds of death of non-Hispanic White veterans, after adjustments.
An observational study included 1,544,541 US veterans with diagnosed sleep apnoea, insomnia or both who were prescribed treatment through the Veterans Health Administration between 1999 and 2023. Sleep apnoea involves repeated pauses in breathing during sleep; insomnia means difficulty falling or staying asleep.
The researchers used self-reported race and ethnicity and national death records. They adjusted comparisons for demographics, other health conditions, medicines, time observed and neighbourhood socioeconomic conditions. Racial and ethnic minority veterans had lower odds of death from any cause than non-Hispanic White veterans across all three diagnosis groups. Among non-Hispanic Asian veterans, the odds ratios were 0.30 for sleep apnoea, 0.34 for insomnia and 0.28 for both conditions. An odds ratio below one indicates lower odds than in the comparison group.
Why it matters
Mortality patterns matter for understanding differences in lifespan. The authors suggested that racial and ethnic mortality disparities may be smaller within this equal-access healthcare setting.
Caveats
The observational design cannot show why mortality differed or whether equal access to care accounted for the pattern. The findings may not apply beyond veterans with diagnosed sleep disorders and prescribed treatment in this healthcare system.
The paper
University of Miami; Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center
Sleep Medicine, 15 Oct 2026
