CPAP Therapy Necessary to Reduce HF Risk in Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea not treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was associated with increased risk of heart disease, researcher for a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reported. Drawing on nationwide databases, the entire Danish population was tracked for the study from 2000 to 2012. The researchers then identified patients with sleep apnea who were both receiving and not receiving CPAP therapy and compared them to the general population. 

CPAP therapy is protective against heart failure in #elderly patients with #sleep apnea https://t.co/v5HrDZeJeG

— JAHA (@JAHA_AHA) June 22, 2018

Outcomes of interest included first-time hospital contact for heart failure (HF), and adjusted HF incidence ratios. The study included over 4.9 million participants, of whom 40,485 developed sleep apnea during the study period. The study results suggested that crude HF rates in patients with sleep apnea were elevated compared to the background population, and that HF incidence ratios were increased in patients who did not receive CPAP therapy (for all ages vs. background population). Older patients treated with CPAP therapy showed significantly lower incidence rate ratios of HF compared to untreated patients. “The use of CPAP therapy was associated with a lower risk of incident HF in patients >60 years of age, suggesting a protective effect of CPAP therapy in the elderly.” 

#CPAP therapy in elderly #SleepApnea patients to prevent (rather than treat) #HeartFailure. This is an important research question, as positive airway pressure initiated in patients with progressed HF did not help (-> SAVE & SERVE-HF) @CVC_Adelaide @PrashSanders @ProfMartinCowie https://t.co/emIAyScUHx

— Dominik Linz (@Dominik_Linz) June 22, 2018

Source: Journal of the American Heart Association