Sleep apnoea patients who use CPAP live longer: study

CPAP therapy has been found to significantly reduce the risk of death for people with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to a new meta-analysis published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. Analysing data from over 1 million sleep apnoea patients worldwide, the study provides strong evidence that CPAP therapy not only alleviates OSA symptoms but can also prolong life.

OSA can impair daily functioning and has been associated with serious health conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and stroke. The study reinforces that untreated OSA is a major but modifiable risk factor for both all-cause and cardiovascular-related death, highlighting the importance of consistent CPAP use.

The meta-analysis, led by global experts in sleep and respiratory medicine and supported by sleep health company Resmed, is understood to be the largest of its kind to date, pooling data from over 1 million OSA patients across 30 studies — including 10 randomised controlled trials and 20 real-world evidence studies (RWEs). The researchers analysed long-term outcomes over the average follow-up period of nearly five years, testing the hypothesis that CPAP therapy reduces both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in OSA patients.

The study found that people with OSA who use CPAP therapy have:

• a 37% lower risk of dying from any cause compared to those with OSA who do not use CPAP;
• a 55% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease; and
• a dose-response relationship, meaning that the more consistently CPAP is used, the greater the survival benefits for people living with OSA.
   

“For people with OSA, using CPAP versus not using CPAP can literally be a matter of life or death,” said Dr Carlos Nunez, Resmed’s Chief Medical Officer. “Decades of research have shown CPAP can improve quality of life, and this study now provides the most comprehensive evidence yet that CPAP also prolongs lives for people living with OSA.”

“The results of the study strongly suggest that CPAP therapy is a life-saving intervention for people with OSA,” added senior author Dr Atul Malhotra, Research Chief of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and pulmonologist at UC San Diego Health. “It’s not only about sleep apnoea treatment but also about supporting heart health and extending life.”

“These findings should serve as a wake-up call,” concluded study co-author Jean-Louis Pépin, Professor of Clinical Physiology at Grenoble University Hospital and Director of the HP2 Laboratory INSERM U1300. “Every additional hour of CPAP treatment translates to improved chance of survival for people living with OSA. Patients who stay on CPAP therapy aren’t just breathing easier at night; they’re potentially adding years to their lives.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Mongkolchon Akesin