0778 Characterizing Women with Obstructive Sleep Apnea from Real World Data

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Real-world evidence focused on women with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is lacking. This retrospective study aimed to characterize and evaluate the impact of age on female patients with OSA and their journey through OSA diagnosis and treatment. Methods De-identified US administrative claims data for patients with OSA who had a claim for a sleep test were used for this analysis. Age and insurance coverage were characterized at the time of the first sleep test. Comorbidity status was evaluated in the year prior to the sleep test by assessing ICD-9/10 codes associated with healthcare encounters. This protocol was submitted to an Institutional Review Board and was determined to be exempt from oversight. Results The study included 883,902 female OSA patients; mean age of 51.7 years; and 64.9% commercial, 24.7% Medicaid, and 10.3% Medicare Advantage insurance coverage. The most prevalent comorbidities were hypertension (54.9%), hyperlipidemia (46.5%), GERD (31.5%), type 2 diabetes (25.1%), depression (23.2%), and asthma (22.0%). When stratifying by age, the prevalence of all comorbidities increased with age except for affective disorders. Depression and anxiety decreased with age. In terms of the type of sleep test used to diagnose OSA, 58.8% had an in-lab polysomnography (PSG), 38.9% had a home sleep test (HST), and 2.3% had both a PSG and HST. About half (56.6%) of patients received a positive airway pressure (PAP) device in the year after being diagnosed. When stratifying the results by age, in-lab PSG testing was more prevalent in those over 65, while the percentage of those receiving a PAP device increased then slightly decreased with age (18-44y: 47.6%, 45-54y: 58.1%, 55-64y: 62.1%, 65-69y: 61.1%, >70y: 58.8%). Conclusion This retrospective study characterized the start of the women’s journey with OSA; describing the rates of sleep testing and PAP treatment from a sample of real-world data. These results begin to build an understanding of these patients and their journey to treatment, helping to raise awareness of undiagnosed OSA in women. Further research should be conducted to identify potential real-world impact of adherence to PAP on health outcomes. Support (If Any) ResMed