Beneficial Effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: The Evidence
Maria R. Bonsignore 1, Oreste Marrone 2, Walter T. McNicholas 3
1 Biomedical Department of Internal and Specialist Medicine DiBiMIS, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy and Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology IBIM, National Research Council CNR, Palermo, Italy; 2 Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology IBIM, National Research Council CNR, Palermo, Italy; 3 Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
*Correspondence: Maria R. Bonsignore, Email not available
Abstract
Several meta-analyses have been published on the effects of obstructive sleep apnoea treatment with continuous positive airway pressure. However, an updated, evidence-based summary on the effects of continuous positive airway pressure on outcomes should help clinicians and researchers to navigate through the existing literature, since a PubMed search using the keywords continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), “obstructive sleep apnea” and “meta-analysis” retrieved over 100 papers (July 2016). The aim of this review is to provide updated evidence-based information on the effects of continuous positive airway pressure on mortality, cardio-metabolic outcomes, inflammatory markers, sleepiness, car accidents, cognitive dysfunction, and quality of life in obstructive sleep apnoea. Recent randomised controlled trials and longitudinal studies not yet included in meta-analyses will also be discussed. Overall, evidence exists for positive effects of continuous positive airway pressure treatment on mortality, systemic hypertension, daytime sleepiness and car accidents, and quality of life. Positive effects on cognitive dysfunction, cardiovascular outcomes, and metabolic and inflammatory variables are still uncertain and require further study.
