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. 2015 Apr 9:7:43-50.
doi: 10.2147/NSS.S75166. eCollection 2015.

All-cause mortality from obstructive sleep apnea in male and female patients with and without continuous positive airway pressure treatment: a registry study with 10 years of follow-up

Poul Jennum  1 , Philip Tønnesen  2 , Rikke Ibsen  3 , Jakob Kjellberg  4
Affiliations

All-cause mortality from obstructive sleep apnea in male and female patients with and without continuous positive airway pressure treatment: a registry study with 10 years of follow-up

Poul Jennum et al. Nat Sci Sleep. .

Abstract

Background: More information is needed about the effect on mortality of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), especially in women.

Methods: We employed a historical cohort study design, using data from 25,389 patients with a diagnosis of OSA selected from the Danish National Patient Registry for the period 1999-2009. We used Cox proportional hazard function to evaluate the all-cause mortality from OSA in middle-aged and elderly males and females who were treated, or not, with CPAP.

Results: Female OSA patients had a lower mortality than males, irrespective of whether they received CPAP treatment. CPAP treatment improved survival, as illustrated by the hazard ratio of 0.62 (P<0.001). This effect was dependent on gender: CPAP had no significant effect on 20- to 39-year-old males and females, but the overall mortality in this age group was small. Survival was increased by CPAP in 40- to 59-year-old and ≥60-year-old males, but no such effect was observed in females. Positive predictors of survival were young age, female gender, higher educational level, and low 3-year prior comorbidity as estimated by the Charlson Comorbidity Index. Negative predictors for survival were male gender, age ≥60 years, no CPAP treatment, prior comorbidity, and low educational level.

Conclusion: CPAP therapy is associated with reduced all-cause mortality in middle-aged and elderly males, but no significant effect was found in females.

Keywords: elderly; gender; middle age; mortality.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age 20–39 years is the omitted age group. Abbreviation: CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival, by age and CPAP treatment groups (≥60 years). Abbreviation: CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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