OSA affects more than 1 billion adults worldwide.1 The US alone has secondhighest rate of OSA, with an estimated 54 million people having at least mild OSA. Of those, 24 million have moderate or severe OSA.1 While these numbers are staggering, even more concerning is the fact that about four out of every five people with OSA remain undiagnosed—and therefore, untreated.2
As the number of studies showing the link between untreated moderate to severe OSA and death from any cause grows, this association cannot and should not be ignored any longer. Available figures suggest the risk of death in individuals with moderate or severe OSA is three to six times higher than the risk of death in people without OSA.3-6 In these studies, the connection between OSA and all-cause death was independent of other factors that might have contributed to death. This increased risk of death has even been reported in young and middle-aged adults with moderate OSA.7
Results from a recently released meta-analysis of over 1 million OSA patients show that treating OSA with PAP therapy reduces all cause mortality by 37% and cardiovascular mortality by 55%.8 This corroborates findings from other research showing the benefit of treating OSA on mortality. In addition to the use of PAP therapy significantly reducing the risk of all-cause death, one study Internal Use found that the mortality benefit increased as PAP usage increased.8,9
A 30-year prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom identified long-term—up to 15–20 years—benefits of PAP usage, with people using PAP therapy 5.6 times more likely to be alive than those not using PAP therapy.10 A study of nearly 900,000 people with OSA in the U.S. found that among those with evidence of PAP initiation had significantly lower all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and that higher annual PAP claims were progressively associated with lower mortality and MACE incident risk.11 And, a French study found people who continuously used PAP therapy for 3 years were 39% more likely to survive than people with OSA who stopped using therapy during that time.12
The important first steps in mitigating the unseen risk of death in people with OSA are screening and diagnosis. This is the path to identify the appropriate treatment. Effectively treating OSA is a proven way to reduce mortality in patients with this condition.
The often chronic nature of OSA necessitates the importance of long-term management.8 Positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is the leading treatment for moderate to severe OSA and an option for mild OSA13, has the ability to improve sleep-disordered breathing events from the first day of treatment.
By educating patients about the relationship between OSA and mortality, healthcare providers may help patients embrace the importance of treating OSA—and could potentially help save their lives.