CPAP, What’s Not to Love?

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with significant decrements in quality of life, including daytime sleepiness, drowsy driving, and adverse health effects. Treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) improves sleepiness symptoms, and some data support improvement in cardiometabolic outcomes. CPAP adherence, however, remains suboptimal, thereby hampering the symptom-based and health benefits that could be fully realized. Many strategies have been developed to increase PAP adherence, including behavioral interventions and an approach known as the PAP-NAP study, an intervention that focuses on improving the patient’s acceptance of PAP therapy by using regimented acclimation and desensitization techniques.