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Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disorder characterized by recurrent nocturnal breathing interruptions, often resulting in debilitating symptoms and a substantial cardiovascular burden. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) remains the gold standard therapy for OSA, but its long-term effectiveness and the influence of comorbidities on treatment compliance require ongoing investigation. Methods In this retrospective study, we assessed the efficacy of CPAP therapy in a cohort of 201 OSA patients, using data collected from 2017 to 2023 in an outpatient sleep apnea clinic. The study population comprised 125 males and 76 females, with an average age of 66 years. The severity of OSA was categorized based on Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) levels, and patients were prescribed CPAP therapy with tailored pressure levels. Compliance was evaluated by the percentage of nights with over 4 hours of CPAP usage, with results ≥70% considered compliant. The impact of comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, cardiac diseases and severe OSA, on treatment compliance was also assessed. Results Among the patients, 80.5% exhibited good compliance with CPAP therapy, while 19.5% demonstrated poor compliance. AHI values significantly improved, with the mean AHI at diagnosis 37.08 reducing to 3.41 at follow-up. Among patients with an AHI greater than 30, 90% exhibited good compliance, whereas those with an AHI less than 30 demonstrated good compliance in 69% of cases. Notably, the standard deviation of AHI values reduced from 29.01 to 4.35, underscoring a significant reduction in variability. Interestingly, patients with multiple comorbidities (61.6% of the patients) displayed a higher compliance rate compared to those with one or fewer comorbidities (17.9%). Conclusion This study reaffirms the enduring effectiveness of CPAP therapy as the gold standard for OSA treatment. High compliance rates with substantial reductions in AHI values support its continued use in managing patients with different comorbidities. Our findings indicate that increased compliance with CPAP is linked to the presence of multiple comorbidities and higher severity of AHI. Support (if any) In future research, there is a need for concentrated research endeavors to formulate strategies aimed at improving compliance, particularly among patients with a lower number of comorbidities.
Raafat et al. (Sat,) studied this question.