FDA clears Apple's sleep apnea detection feature for use. Here's how it works

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Mondaycleared Apple's new sleep apnea detection feature for use, which means it will come to the Apple Watch Series 9, Series 10, and Ultra 2 later this month. 

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person's breathing to repeatedly stop and start throughout the night. The condition affects more than 30 million people in the U.S., but only around 6 million are diagnosed, according to the American Medical Association. If it goes untreated, sleep apnea can cause fatigue and lead to more serious health issues like heart problems, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. 

"We are so excited about the incredible impact this feature can make for the millions of people living with undiagnosed sleep apnea," Dr. Sumbul Desai, vice president of health at Apple, said in the feature's launch video.

Apple's sleep apnea detection feature marks the company's latest attempt to position its wearables as a cheaper, simpler alternative to many existing health-care tests and devices. And the sleep disorder market could prove to be lucrative. 

To get evaluated for sleep apnea, for instance, patients typically participate in an at-home test or an in-lab test where they're monitored overnight. Prices vary depending on insurance coverage, but the average in-lab test costs $3,000, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. 

At-home tests are often less expensive, but they can still cost hundreds of dollars. The at-home sleep apnea test from Sleep Doctor costs $189, for example. Apple's newest watch, the Series 10, starts at $399. 

Apple's sleep apnea detection feature is "potentially a game changer" for patients who have been reluctant to seek out testing, said Dr. David