Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea (OSAH) affects more than 15% of the general population and increases the occurrence of cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic events. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment is currently the gold standard treatment of OSAH and could prevent the occurrence of such events. However, long-term adherence to CPAP is a problem where a significant rate stop device treatment use. OSAH patients suffering CV disease could be less compliant due to less diurnal symptoms. Methods: We performed a prospective study of 408 non-CV or CV disease patients suffering severe OSAH syndrome and followed them during the first 5 months as well as a mean of 3 years of CPAP treatment use. Results: We demonstrated that in adult OSAH patients that two variables were associated with a low compliance (<5 h/night): age <60 y and lower maximal positive airway pressure level used. There was no significant impact of the presence of CV disease on compliance of 5 months. After 3 years of CPAP, age <60 y as well as diabetes were independent factors of low compliance. There was no significant association between gender, mask types, 90th centile positive airway pressure level, apnea/hypopnea index and short- or long-term compliance in our population. Conclusions: We did not find lower compliance of CPAP in CV OSAH patients. Most of our population (68-73%) demonstrated an optimal night treatment duration at 3 years of follow-up, allowing a reduction of CV occurrence or recurrence. We hypothesize that an early and short education of OSAH as we routinely proposed could allow a significant increase in the optimal observance of CPAP in at-risk populations.
Keywords: CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure); OSA (obstructive sleep apnea); adherence - compliance - persistence; cardiovascular disease; sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome; treatment adaptation.