Impact of CPAP Termination on Permanent Work Disability in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A French Nationwide ALASKA Database Analysis.

Abstract

Three-year continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy termination rates are up to 50%, and therapy termination is associated with higher all-cause mortality and incident cardiovascular event risk. This study investigated the impact of CPAP therapy termination in the first year on long sick leave leading to permanent work disability in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on data from the nAtionwide cLAimS data laKe for sleep Apnoea (ALASKA). French national health insurance reimbursement system (SNDS) data were analyzed for all adults with OSA aged ≤62 years who started CPAP therapy in France in 2015/2016. CPAP therapy termination was defined as the cessation of CPAP reimbursements triggered by the respiratory physician/sleep specialist in charge of follow-up. Individuals who terminated therapy were compared with those who continued to use CPAP. The primary outcome was sick leave ultimately leading to permanent work disability. A multivariable Finn and Gray model, adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular/metabolic comorbidities, depression, and CPAP prescriber clinical specialty was used to assess the risk of long-term sick leave leading to permanent work disability over 3 years' follow-up. The analysis included 174,270 individuals (median age 52.0 years [interquartile range 44.0-57.0], 67.5% male). The 1-year CPAP therapy termination rate was 22.3%. The proportion of individuals with long-term sick leave leading to permanent work disability was significantly higher in the CPAP termination versus continuation group (0.60% vs. 0.52%; p=0.042). In an adjusted multivariable Cox model, CPAP termination was associated with an increased risk of permanent work disability (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.04-1.41; p=0.01), primarily in the subgroup aged >55 years (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.06-1.87; p=0.02). These real-world data from a comprehensive, unbiased database highlight the potential occupational impact of CPAP therapy termination.