President Joe Biden has started using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, the White House said Wednesday, explaining marks from straps that were seen on both sides of his face earlier this week and adding to the growing concerns around the president’s health as he enters his reelection bid.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement Wednesday that the president has documented his history with sleep apnea since 2008 and “used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history;” a CPAP is a continuous positive air pressure machine used to treat sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea is a common condition in which one’s breathing stops and restarts many times while asleep, which can cause a shortage of oxygen, according to the National Institutes of Health.’
An official told Forbes Biden started using the machine to optimize sleep quality in recent weeks.
Biden’s last health summary from the White House, issued in February, made no mention of a CPAP machine and concluded that Biden, 80, “remains a healthy, vigorous” person “who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Though disliked by many for their loud sounds, CPAP machines are often considered the “gold standard” of sleep apnea treatment, according to Yale Medicine. The machine itself works to keep airways open while sleeping so people receive enough oxygen through the night, and using one is said to reduce the risk of multiple health issues, like heart disease and stroke. In 2022, the American Medical Association estimated about 30 million people in the U.S. have sleep apnea, though only 6 million are diagnosed. Though CPAPs aren’t the only treatment, if sleep apnea goes untreated it can lead to a lack of quality sleep, resulting in “trouble concentrating, making decisions, remembering things or controlling your behavior.”
BIG NUMBER
68%. That’s how many voters said in an NBC News poll released yesterday that they have concerns about Biden “having the necessary mental and physical health to be president.” In the same poll, 55% of respondents said they have “major” concerns. Despite his age (three years younger than President Biden) and obesity, former President Donald Trump did slightly better than Biden, with 55% of people expressing concern about his mental and physical capacity to run the country.
