Dataset Information

Effect of CPAP on blood pressure in patients with minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea: a meta-analysis using individual patient data from four randomised controlled trials.

ABSTRACT:

Background

CPAP reduces blood pressure (BP) in patients with symptomatic obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Whether the same benefit is present in patients with minimally symptomatic OSA is unclear, thus a meta-analysis of existing trial data is required.

Methods

The electronic databases Medline, Embase and trial registries were searched. Trials were eligible if they included patients with minimally symptomatic OSA, had randomised them to receive CPAP or either sham-CPAP or no CPAP, and recorded BP at baseline and follow-up. Individual participant data were obtained. Primary outcomes were absolute change in systolic and diastolic BP.

Findings

Five eligible trials were found (1219 patients) from which data from four studies (1206 patients) were obtained. Mean (SD) baseline systolic and diastolic BP across all four studies was 131.2 (15.8) mm Hg and 80.9 (10.4) mm Hg, respectively. There was a slight increase in systolic BP of 1.1 mm Hg (95% CI -0.2 to 2.3, p=0.086) and a slight reduction in diastolic BP of 0.8 mm Hg (95% CI -1.6 to 0.1, p=0.083), although the results were not statistically significant. There was some evidence of an increase in systolic BP in patients using CPAP <4 h/night (1.5 mm Hg, 95% CI -0.0 to 3.1, p=0.052) and reduction in diastolic BP in patients using CPAP >4 h/night (-1.4 mm Hg, 95% CI -2.5 to -0.4, p=0.008). CPAP treatment reduced both subjective sleepiness (p<0.001) and OSA severity (p<0.001).

Interpretation

Although CPAP treatment reduces OSA severity and sleepiness, it seems not to have a beneficial effect on BP in patients with minimally symptomatic OSA, except in patients who used CPAP for >4 h/night.

SUBMITTER: Bratton DJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4251445 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on cognitive function in stroke patients with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) by exploring randomised controlled trials (RCTs).MethodsPublished RCTs that assessed the therapeutic effects of CPAP on cognition in stroke patients with OSA, compared with controls or sham CPAP, were included. Electronic databases, including MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane library, were searched in October 2020 and October 2021. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane collaboration tools. A random effects or fixed effects model was used according to heterogeneity. The outcomes were global cognitive gain, improvement in cognitive domain and subjective sleepiness.Results7 RCTs, including 327 participants, comparing CPAP with control or sham CPAP treatment were included. 6 RCTs with 270 participants reported results related to global cognition, and CPAP treatment had no significant effects on global cognitive gain in stroke patients with OSA (standardised mean difference (SMD), 0.18; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.42; p=0.153). A subgroup analysis showed that an early start to (<2 weeks post stroke) CPAP treatment after stroke significantly improved global cognition (SMD, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.18 to 1.14; p=0.007), which was not found in the case of a delayed start to CPAP treatment. However, CPAP did not significantly help with memory, language, attention or executive function. Moreover, CPAP therapy significantly alleviated subjective sleepiness (SMD, -0.73; 95% CI, -1.15 to -0.32; p≤0.001).ConclusionsEarly initiation of CPAP treatment might contribute to improvement in global cognition in stroke patients with OSA. This study had the following limitations: the sample size in each included study was relatively small; the scales related to cognitive assessment or subjective sleepiness were inconsistent; and the methodological quality was not high. Future trials should focus on including a greater number of stroke patients with OSA undergoing CPAP treatment.Prospero registration numberCRD42020214709.