Million-patient study reveals gaps in long-term adherence among various sub-populations

Men with sleep apnoea are 8.5% more likely to stay adherent on continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy than women, according to a study presented by Dr Jeff Armitstead (ResMed Science Center, Australia) [1].

The researchers examined de-identified data of 954,838 CPAP users from a remote monitoring network, who were registered for its patient engagement tool in the USA. The study found significant differences in 1-year adherence between people of different ages and disease severity levels:

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   1. Overall adherence at 1 year was 70.4%.
   2. Men with sleep apnoea were 8.3% more likely to stay adherent on PAP therapy than women.
   3. People over age 60 were 7.3 percentage points more adherent than the entire study cohort (77.7% vs 70.4%).
   4. People with self-reported severe sleep apnoea (apnoea-hypopnoea index [AHI] ≥30/h) were 78% adherent at the 1-year mark, compared with 70.5% of those with self-reported moderate sleep apnoea (AHI 15-30/h), and 65% of those with mild sleep apnoea (AHI 5-15/h).

The study points to gaps in adherence to CPAP therapy for sleep apnoea indicating an unmet need for improved support, especially in women, younger patients, and those with mild disease.

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   1. Armitstead JP. A2600, ATS 2019, 17-22 May, Dallas, USA.

Posted on 23 July 201917 May 2024