Notes from CHEST 2005

Here is a brief summary of some of the sleep-related studies submitted to the American College of Chest Physicians meeting in Montreal Canada 2005

Study name – Predictors of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compliance and satisfication after split-night protocol

Principal Investigator – Osama Elkhouli, MD Mount Sinai Hospital Center, Montreal PQ Canada

Purpose – Poor compliance and low satisfaction with CPAP are significant obstacles in the treatment of OSA.  We investigated the Polysomnographic (PSG) and clinical predictors of compliance and satisfaction in patients treated with CPAP after a “diagnostic/titration split-night protocolâ€� (SNP)

Conclusion – High Obstructive Apnea Index during the diagnostic part of the SNP and increase of Slow Wave Sleep during the titration part of the SNP can predict long term compliance and satisfaction with CPAP. However, clinical parameters including reduction of Epworth Sleepiness Score and improvement in sleep quality are even better predictors of long term compliance and satisfaction with CPAP.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Study name – Long-term effect of CPAP therapy on blood pressure control in patients with OSA

Principal Investigator – Tanveer Ahmed, MD University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK

Purpose – Many patients with OSA are also hypertensive. We hypothesized that CPA therapy will lead to a long term improvement in blood pressure control as reflected by the need for less intense antihypertensive therapy.

Conclusion – CPAP therapy produces a gradual reduction in blood pressure which is significant at 12 months. This benefit occurs without any change in antihypertensive therapy.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Study name – Empiric treatment of clinically diagnosed OSA using auto-titrating continuous positive airway pressure.

Principal Investigator – Fitzgerald E. Drummond, MD Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC

Purpose – To evaluate the efficacy and safety of empiric auto-adjusting CPAP to treat suspected OSA in veterans awaiting polysomnography.

Conclusion – The data suggests that auto-CPAP significantly improved the Epworth Sleepiness Scores of veteran patients likely to have OSA while awaiting polysomnography.  This is an encouraging finding and warrants continuation of this trial to its planned enrollment of 300 subjects.


_________________
Executive Director
American Sleep Apnea Association
6856 Eastern Avenue, NW Ste. 203
Washington, DC 20012
202-293-3650