Complaints of fatigue and tiredness in people with OSA improve with CPAP treatmentJune 16, 2009This study is the first to demonstrate that fatigue and tiredness can improve after adequate treatment with CPAP therapy Westchester, Ill. -A study in the June 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that the complaints of fatigue and tiredness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) improved significantly with good adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, suggesting that - like the symptom of excessive daytime sleepiness - these complaints are important symptoms of OSA. Results indicate that good adherence to CPAP therapy for an average of five or more hours per night resolved baseline complaints of fatigue in 45 of 80 participants (56 percent), tiredness in 56 of 96 participants (58 percent) and sleepiness in 48 of 72 participants (67 percent); improvement of each symptom was significantly better among CPAP-adherent participants than among inadequately treated subjects. A baseline complaint of lack of energy also was resolved in 47 of 100 participants with good CPAP adherence, but this improvement failed to reach statistical significance when compared with inadequately treated participants. According to senior investigator Ronald D. Chervin, M.D., M.S., of the Michael S. Aldrich Sleep Disorders Laboratory in Ann Arbor, Mich., physicians should consider the possibility of OSA as a treatable underlying cause not just for the complaint of sleepiness, but also for the chief complaints of fatigue, tiredness and lack of energy. "We found that sleep apnea patients who used their CPAP regularly, in comparison to those who did not, had much greater success in reducing their fatigue, tiredness and sleepiness," he said. "This suggests that sleep apnea may be the cause of these symptoms, as it is a cause of sleepiness." The study involved 313 OSA patients with an average age of 54.7 years; 178 (56.9 percent) were men. It compared 183 participants who reported using CPAP for an average of five or more hours per night with 96 subjects who either had no active treatment (55 subjects) or reported using CPAP for an average of less than five hours per night (41 subjects); 34 participants were excluded from the analysis because they received a treatment other than CPAP. Compared with inadequately treated patients, participants who had good adherence to CPAP had a higher severity of OSA at baseline and lower self-reported sleepiness at follow-up. Both before and after treatment, women reported a complaint of lack of energy statistically more often than men. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, OSA is a sleep-related breathing disorder that involves a decrease or complete halt in airflow despite an ongoing effort to breathe. It occurs when the muscles relax during sleep, causing soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse and block the upper airway. This leads to partial reductions (hypopneas) and complete pauses (apneas) in breathing that can produce abrupt reductions in blood oxygen saturation. Most people with OSA snore loudly and frequently, and they often experience excessive daytime sleepiness. The authors suggest that their findings are in agreement with previous research demonstrating that CPAP adherence is associated with improvements in OSA symptoms, daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairments, blood pressure and quality of life. American Academy of Sleep Medicine |
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| Related CPAP Current Events and CPAP News Articles Surgery is an option for some patients hoping to get a good night's rest According to research recently published by an Oregon Health & Science University scientist, a form of surgery called uvopalatopharyngoplasty is effective for treating certain patients who suffer from sleep apnea, one of the most common sleep disorders. Severe sleep apnea tied to increased risk of death Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased risk of death from any cause in middle-aged adults, especially men, according to new results from a landmark study supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Benefits from upper airway surgery for sleep apnea found to equal CPAP Adults who struggle with CPAP treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) should be considered candidates for reconstructive surgery on the upper airway, because it holds the same quality-of-life (QOL) benefits but with more permanence. CPAP treatment linked to lower mortality in stroke patients with OSA Stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who undergo treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) following their stroke may substantially reduce their risk of death. Obstructive sleep apnea patients have increased occurrences of parasomnia symptoms Patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have an increased prevalence of parasomnia symptoms compared with the prevalence rates of individual parasomnias. Men who work with their female partners more likely to adhere to CPAP therapy Men who work with their female partners while receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are more likely to adhere to their treatment. Problem solving and coping styles related to CPAP adherence According to a research abstract that will be presented on Monday, June 8, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, active problem solving strategies are associated with successful use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Obstructive sleep apnea, retinopathy linked in diabetes The eyes may be the window into the soul, but they may also contain important medical information. 2-week course of sleep aid increases CPAP adherence in OSA patients at 6 months New research suggests that patients newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who use a short-course of the sleep aid, eszopiclone, when beginning continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, are more adherent with therapy in six months. Patients with mild to moderate OSA may benefit from exercise Practicing certain tongue and pharyngeal exercises may reduce symptoms of mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to new research being published in the second issue for May of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. More CPAP Current Events and CPAP News Articles |
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