The current DOT regulations include BMI and neck size as key indicators for sleep apnea that medical examiners will be looking for during recertification physical exams.
#Dot Physical Form For Ups Drivers driver
The driver who is being treated for sleep apnea should remain symptom free and agree to:
#Dot Physical Form For Ups Drivers drivers
So as you will see, DOT is trying to screen CDL drivers by requiring doctors doing medical certifications to flag anyone with a large neck or high BMI for further testing of sleep apnea.Īccording to The Medical Examiner’s Handbook produced by the FMCSA: Men with a neck circumference above 17 inches (43 centimeters) and women with a neck circumference above 15 inches (38 centimeters) also have a significantly increased risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. But the impact of BMI on obstructive sleep apnea becomes less significant after age 60.īMI isn’t the sole marker of obesity that’s important. Compared to normal-weight adults, those who are obese have a sevenfold increased risk of developing obstructive sleep apnea. In adults, excess weight is the strongest risk factor associated with obstructive sleep apnea.Įach unit increase in BMI is associated with a 14% increased risk of developing sleep apnea, and a 10% weight gain increases the odds of developing moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea by six times. More than half of people with obstructive sleep apnea are either overweight or obese, which is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25-29.9 or 30.0 or above, respectively. This is where neck size and the Body Mass Index (BMI) come into play. Thus, the DOT is trying to find a way to flag CDL drivers who “might” have sleep apnea for further screening. This last part is most important, to reiterate, “ sleep apnea often goes undiagnosed“.
Also, no blood test can help diagnose the condition. Doctors usually can’t detect the condition during routine office visits. Sleep apnea is a leading cause of excessive daytime sleepiness. When your breathing pauses or becomes shallow, you’ll often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep.Īs a result, the quality of your sleep is poor, which makes you tired during the day.
Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. Typically, normal breathing then starts again, sometimes with a loud snort or choking sound. Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep.īreathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. Turns out there is a statistical correlation between your neck size and / or your body mass index, and the likelihood of sleep apnea.Īccording to the National Institute of Health The DOT does, and through regulations being promulgated by the FMCSA, DOT is going to have your neck size and body mass measured. Remember over 40% of drivers will meet one of these “criteria”. So let’s see how this can happen, what you need to worry about, and then in conclusion, what you can do to prevent an out of service. If your neck is bigger than 17 inches, or your BMI is 35 or greater, there might be a medical “out of service” in your future. Ready to get your Medical Card updated? Feeling healthy, and you cruised through your last exam? What’s to worry about? Plenty.