Impact of Positive Pressure Treatment of the Airway on Health-Related Quality of Life in Elderly Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic illness that increases in prevalence with age. Treatment includes continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices. Studies about the use of CPAP in the elderly are scarce. The main objective of this study is to determine whether CPAP contributes to improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQL) in elderly patients with OSA. Method: This was a prospective, pre-/postintervention assessment of a cohort of patients ≥65 years of age with OSA diagnosis by polysomnography who were being treated with CPAP and were physically independent and had good cognitive status. We determined HRQL before and after 3 months of CPAP treatment using the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36, a 36-item, patient-reported survey) and Sleep Apnea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI). The effect of CPAP on daytime sleepiness was assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results: Of the 103 participants with a mean age of 71.5 ± 4.19 years, 66% were male. After 3 months of therapy, the mean CPAP usage was 6.3 ± 1.41 hr/day. The effectiveness of CPAP in controlling the OSA was demonstrated (mean difference pre- and posttherapy: 34.30 ± 18.52 events/hr, p < .001). Postintervention, the categories of the SF-36 improved meaningfully ( p < .001). Moreover, all categories of SAQLI improved ( p < .001) with the exception of “symptoms” ( p = .073). ESS scores also improved significantly (difference = 5.2 ± 4.47, p < .001) postintervention. Conclusion: Therapy with CPAP in elderly patients with OSA helps improve their HRQL and reduces daytime sleepiness.