New Study Backs Benefits of CPAP Therapy for OSA
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Obstructive sleep apnea (“OSA”) is a chronic sleep disorder that causes an individual’s breathing to stop and start while asleep. This disorder, which affects roughly one billion individuals globally, doubles the risk of the sudden death of these individuals, especially if left untreated. In addition, it heightens the risk of developing cardiovascular conditions such as chronic heart failure, coronary artery disease and hypertension, among other conditions.
The primary treatment for this disorder is known as continuous positive airway pressure (“CPAP”). While the relationship between mortality and this treatment’s effect on the disorder have been challenging to study in controlled trials, evidence has demonstrated an accurate picture of the impact of routine usage of this treatment on mortality. A study that was recently published has found that using CPAP therapy can substantially grow a patient’s chances of living longer.
The ALASKA study, which was sponsored by ResMed, found that individuals with obstructive sleep apnea who underwent CPAP therapy were more likely to survive in comparison to those with the ailment who didn’t receive therapy. The researchers also discovered that the gap in the rate of survival was larger when they accounted for patients’ causes of death, other pre-existing conditions, overall health and age.
For their study, the researchers used a sample size of more than 176,000 individuals with sleep apnea in France. They observed this sample size for a three-year period, conducting an analysis that comprised data from all new users of CPAP therapy aged 18 and above obtained from the French SNDS.
Experts believe that because all patients with obstructive sleep apnea in France undergoing CPAP therapy were included, the study’s results highlight the potential for the use of CPAP treatment in decreasing mortality in obstructive sleep apnea patients. They note that the results can also be generalized to broader clinical populations.
This study also challenges the conclusion of the assessment made by the Agency for Health Research Quality, which argues that there’s sparse evidence regarding the effectiveness of CPAP devices in treating obstructive sleep apnea in the long- term.
Instead, the researchers of the ALASKA study noted in their conclusion that individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea who carried on with CPAP therapy lived longer, as shown by the analysis of the extensive and nonbiased variety of patients included in their research.
Coauthor of the study Dr. Adam Benjafield has led more than 150 clinical studies on various subjects. He is the current vice president of medical affairs at ResMed.
While CPAP is being applauded for its benefits to patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, companies such as Vivos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VVOS) are already commercializing treatment protocols that offer even better clinical outcomes for some categories of OSA patients.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Vivos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VVOS) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/VVOS
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