Apple Watch's new sleep apnea detection feature offers over-the-counter screening

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The American Medical Association estimates that 30 to 40 million Americans have sleep apnea, but most aren't diagnosed. Now, a new update is coming to the health app on Apple Watches that could you the information you need to get help.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that temporarily causes you to stop breathing, disrupting oxygen flow to your brain and body.

Just because a person snores doesn't mean they have obstructive sleep apnea, but it is a sign.

This chronic condition can lead to many health consequences.

"Cardiovascular health, diabetes, hypertension," explained pulmonary care and sleep medicine expert Dr. Raj Dasgupta with Huntington Health.

Sleep apnea can also raise one's risk for dementia and mood disorders.

Medical sleep apnea tests need a doctor's prescription, can be expensive, and require an overnight sleep center stay or hooking up diagnostic equipment at home. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has approved Apple's sleep apnea detection feature for use on Apple Watches.

"I don't want to oversimplify it, but it's an over-the-counter way to assess your risk for sleep apnea," said Dasgupta.

He adds that it's not a diagnostic device, but it screens for breathing disturbances without using oxygen monitors.

The watch has a built-in accelerometer that detects motion. Detection so sensitive that when combined with an algorithm, it can determine your airflow pattern and when it's disrupted.

"No oxygen in, no carbon dioxide out, and to have an apnea, it's usually going to be 10 seconds long," said Dasgupta.

For FDA clearance, Apple tested the feature on about 1,400 people then compared it against the gold standard medical sleep test.

Apple says the watch correctly alerted people who had apnea 66% of the time.

"This is going to be one other piece of the puzzle that you need to bring to your healthcare provider to make sure you get the big, correct picture," said Dasgupta.

Other devices like the Oura ring and Fitbit can help identify signs of apnea. The Samsung Galaxy watch has a similar FDA clearance.

Apple's new sleep apnea detection feature will be available in the Apple Watch Series 9, 10, and Ultra 2. But you don't have to buy one to get checked for sleep apnea.

Dasgupta said chronic snoring and feeling tired all the time warrant a discussion with your doctor.