Long-term nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment lowers blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea regardless of age

Abstract

Effective treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) lowers blood pressure (BP) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). It was reported that OSA might influence BP in middle-aged but not in elderly patients. However, effects of nCPAP treatment in elderly hypertensive OSA patients are not well known. We investigated long-term compliance with nCPAP and its effects on BP in elderly and middle-aged OSA patients. This observational study involved 92 OSA patients (81 men, 11 women; 46 middle-aged, 46 elderly; body mass index (BMI), 27.7 (27.0-28.7) kg m(-2); apnea hypopnea index, 43.0 (39.4-46.6) per h; 95% confidence intervals). BP and BMI were measured before the study and at two checkpoints after usage of nCPAP (616 (553-679) and 1048 (985-1114) days). Diastolic BP decreased by 5.69 (3.09-8.29) mm Hg after 600 days of nCPAP treatment and by 4.50 (1.80-7.19) mm Hg after 1000 days (P=0.003). There were no significant changes in systolic BP, BMI or usage time of nCPAP. With a daily average of 3 h or more of nCPAP treatment, diastolic BP decreased significantly in subject groups ≥ 60 and <60 years of age. Even in the elderly, a daily average use of nCPAP for 3 h would lower diastolic BP in OSA patients.