CPAP Therapy Reduces Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Sleep Apnea, New Meta-Analysis Shows
China: A new systematic review and meta-analysis has provided strong evidence that Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy can positively impact cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The research, published in Respiratory Medicine Journal, sheds light on how this commonly used treatment for OSA may help reduce the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other metabolic conditions.
"CPAP therapy resulted in reductions in blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and fasting blood glucose. However, it did not affect LDL-C, HDL-C, waist circumference, or BMI. Compliance with CPAP was essential for achieving these metabolic improvements, with the most significant benefits observed in younger, obese patients with OSA," the researchers reported.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where the airway becomes blocked during sleep, leading to breathing interruptions. It is commonly associated with a range of serious health problems, including hypertension, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular disease. CPAP therapy, which works by keeping the airway open with a continuous stream of air, has long been used to treat OSA. However, its effects on cardiometabolic health—specifically, its ability to reduce risk factors such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar—have been less well understood.
To fill this knowledge gap, Yong Zhang, Department of Forensic Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China, and colleagues aimed to evaluate the impact of CPAP therapy on cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
For this purpose, the researchers conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase to identify randomized controlled trials up to December 2023. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Bias Risk Tool 2.0, and a meta-analysis was performed using Stata15.1 software. Effect sizes in the meta-analysis were reported as the weighted mean difference (WMD).
The study identified the following key findings:
- A total of 52 studies involving 10,104 participants were analyzed.
- CPAP therapy significantly reduced:
- Systolic blood pressure (WMD: -2.04 mmHg)
- Diastolic blood pressure (WMD: -1.40 mmHg)
- Total cholesterol (WMD: -0.27 mmol/L)
- Triglycerides (WMD: -0.02 mmol/L)
- Fasting blood glucose (WMD: -0.15 mmol/L)
- However, there were no significant changes in:
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)
- High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)
- Waist circumference
- Body mass index (BMI) after CPAP treatment.
"This meta-analysis revealed that CPAP therapy effectively reduces specific cardiometabolic risk factors in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, providing valuable insights for cardiovascular disease prevention," the researchers concluded.
Reference: https://www.resmedjournal.com/article/S0954-6111(24)00327-5/abstract
