Narcolepsy is not a rare condition; the estimated prevalence in western Europe and in the US is between 0.2 and 2 per 1000 people.[7]Aldrich MS. The clinical spectrum of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Neurology. 1996 Feb;46(2):393-401.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8614501?tool=bestpractice.com
[8]Hublin C, Partinen M, Kaprio J, et al. Epidemiology of narcolepsy. Sleep. 1994 Dec;17(8 Suppl):S7-12.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7701204?tool=bestpractice.com
[9]Silber MH, Krahn LE, Olson EJ, et al. The epidemiology of narcolepsy in Olmsted County, Minnesota: a population-based study. Sleep. 2002 Mar 15;25(2):197-202.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11902429?tool=bestpractice.com
It is the second most common cause of disabling daytime sleepiness after obstructive sleep apnoea.[10]Zeman A, Britton T, Douglas N, et al. Narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness. BMJ. 2004 Sep 25;329(7468):724-8.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15388615?tool=bestpractice.com
Approximately 125,000 people in the US have narcolepsy.[3]Berry BR, Gilmore RL. Narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. In: Carney PR, Berry RB, Geyer JD, eds. Clinical sleep disorders. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincot Williams and Wilkins; 2005. Narcolepsy affects both sexes, with a slight male preponderance.[9]Silber MH, Krahn LE, Olson EJ, et al. The epidemiology of narcolepsy in Olmsted County, Minnesota: a population-based study. Sleep. 2002 Mar 15;25(2):197-202.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11902429?tool=bestpractice.com
[11]Ohayon MM, Priest RG, Zulley J, et al. Prevalence of narcolepsy symptomatology and diagnosis in the European general population. Neurology. 2002 Jun 25;58(12):1826-33.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12084885?tool=bestpractice.com
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