RESUMO
Background: The sleep medicine community has struggled to identify the ideal role for adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) therapy following a study that found increased mortality in patients with central sleep apnea (CSA) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction who used ASV therapy. We aimed to identify characteristics of patients who benefit from ASV therapy. Methods: We performed a record review of all patients treated with ASV therapy at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Virginia from January 1, 2015, to April 30, 2020. Clinical and polysomnographic characteristics of patients adherent to therapy were compared with those that were not adherent. Results: Our cohort of 31 patients was entirely male with a mean age of 67.2 years, body mass index of 34.0, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 10.9. Primary CSA was initially diagnosed in 3 patients (10%), comorbid obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and CSA in 9 (29%), and primary OSA in 19 (61%). Seventeen patients (55%) met minimal adherence criteria with ASV therapy. The obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), as a proportion of the total pretreatment AHI, was higher in adherent patients (81.5%) vs nonadherent patients (46.7%) (P = .02). The median residual AHI was lower in the adherent group, both as absolute values (1.7 vs 4.7 events/h; P = .004) and as a percentage of the pretreatment AHI (3.1% vs 10.2%; P = .002). Conclusions: Patients using ASV devices regularly have a larger component of obstructive sleep-disordered breathing and obtain greater objective benefit from ASV than those that do not. This understanding may help to identify patients that will most benefit from this debated form of therapy.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is traditionally associated with excessive daytime sleepiness. Insomnia is characterized by hyperarousal, and is seen as a predominant feature in a subgroup of patients with OSA. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA) in a sleep apnea population and to characterize its features. METHODS: This was a chart review of patients who underwent overnight polysomnography (PSG). All patients completed questionnaires with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and symptoms of insomnia and other sleep-related comorbidities. Patients with OSA on the PSG were included. RESULTS: A total of 296 patients with OSA were included, of which 80% reported at least 1 major symptom of insomnia: 57% reported sleep onset insomnia, 68% sleep maintenance insomnia, and 48% had early morning awakenings. COMISA (OSA plus 2 or more major symptoms of insomnia) was seen in 63%. These patients were more likely to report an abnormal ESS score, gastroesophageal reflux (GER), and restless legs (RL) than those without; no difference was seen in self-reported sleep bruxism. Among the patients with COMISA, 85% reported at least 1 representative symptom of psychophysiological insomnia (PPI); each of the 5 PPI symptoms was present in at least 40% of patients with COMISA. CONCLUSIONS: Insomnia is extremely prevalent in our population of patients with OSA, accompanied by daytime sleepiness and symptoms of PPI, GER, and RL. Further study is needed to determine the interactions between symptoms and OSA treatments in these patients.
