The problem is they are not only looking at that number, they are looking at the overall picture. My average oxygen throughout the night was 93%, I think. And my AHI number was only 6.5 or so. They told me they do not recommend CPAP until it’s around 10 or above. I blame in large part the company who did the sleep study, which is the only company my GP uses according to him. My GP was ready to prescribe a CPAP until he saw in the report that they did not recommend one. Then he did a 180 and refused and started to get a bit defensive/annoyed when I continued to bring it up. When I brought it up with other doctors (endo, ENT specialist) they agreed with no treatment. From studies I’ve been able to find online, they concur that there is no benefit to treating mild sleep apnea. So I don’t have any foothold such as studies I can bring in to show my doctor.
I’m planning on seeing an “integrative medicine” specialist who is an MD but with an eye to preventing future problems as well as treating current ones at some point (it’s just expensive as “prevention” anything is not covered by the government or insurance), and I think they would likely understand my concerns better. I’m not so much worried that I’m going to have any issues immediately (although I do wonder if I would feel better in any way), but I’m in my 30s. I would hate to put so much attention into keeping good control of my diabetes only to have a heart attack when I’m 55 because I’ve had (albeit mild) sleep apnea all those years. To my knowledge, they have not look at long-term outcomes of “younger” people with sleep apnea. Only shorter-term outcomes (like five years) of middle-aged or older people with sleep apnea.