Hypoglossal nerve stimulator effective in the treatment of Sleep Apnea
Veterans have an increased prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and high levels of intolerance to positive airway pressure (PAP). In a recent study on veterans, researchers have reported that hypoglossal nerve stimulator (HNS) improves obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and sleepiness. The study findings were published in the journal Sleep Medicine on December 09, 2020.
The hypoglossal nerve stimulator (HNS) is a promising alternative surgical treatment for OSA in these patients, many of whom suffer from mental health conditions such as post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that may negatively affect their ability to use PAP. Researchers of the U.S conducted a study to
- Assess postoperative changes in OSA severity and sleepiness in a veteran only population after HNS,
- Compare postoperative changes in OSA severity, sleepiness and HNS adherence between veterans with and without PTSD,
- Compare HNS adherence in our population to HNS adherence in the current literature as well as published PAP adherence data.
It was a retrospective and prospective case series of 46 veterans. Researchers examined the clinical data on consecutive patients undergoing HNS in a Veterans Affairs hospital for demographic data as well as medical, sleep, and mental health comorbidities. They also examined the overall cohort as well as subsets of patients with and without PTSD for postoperative changes in OSA severity (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI], lowest oxygen saturation (LSAT]), and sleepiness (Epworth sleepiness scale [ESS]), as well as for device adherence. They measured the PTSD and depression symptomatology using the PTSD Checklist 5 (PCL‐5) and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ‐9).
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