Interesting article re: OSA and heart disease

Jimm (Guested) · Post by **Jimm (Guested)** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 3:23 pm

A recent study found that having OSA increases the risk of heart disease 5 times but effective treatment reduces the risk by two thirds.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060829/hl_ ... &printer=1
This really is a life or death disease that we're treating.

NightHawkeye · Post by **NightHawkeye** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 5:51 pm

Just to set the record straight, the statistics in the article state that for those getting effective treatment the risk of artery disease was even less than in those without apnea. Effective apnea treatment more than overcame the heart risk associated with apnea.

"Over the next 7 years, coronary artery disease was diagnosed in . . . 5.4 percent of those without apnea. Eight deaths due to coronary artery disease occurred in the apnea group and one in the non-apnea group."

"Among patients with ineffective treatment, coronary artery disease was diagnosed in 24.6 percent versus 3.9 percent of those effectively treated."

Seems like a good deal to me. Make xPAP treatment work and live decades longer.

Regards,
Bill

SpookyFodder · Post by **SpookyFodder** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:24 pm

Thats definitely interesting as I am 37 years old and had a heart attack 2 years ago. Very promising indeed.

Morpheus · Post by **Morpheus** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:44 am

The article says this: 'In "multivariate analysis," obstructive sleep apnea at baseline nearly quintupled the risk of developing coronary artery disease, the investigators report, regardless of age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes, or current smoking.

However, effective sleep apnea treatment reduced the increased risk by about two thirds.'

That last sentence suggests that the 500% increase in CAD risk is reduced by two-thirds - meaning there still is a 170% increase in risk even if you are successfully treated. The patient pool of successfully treated patients numbered only 40, which is not exactly a huge sample - and, though it may have been included in the analysis, the news report says nothing about the role of obesity or whether it was considered in the multivariate analysis.

lvehko · Post by **lvehko** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:13 am

Morpheus wrote:The article says this: 'In "multivariate analysis," obstructive sleep apnea at baseline nearly quintupled the risk of developing coronary artery disease, the investigators report, regardless of age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes, or current smoking.

However, effective sleep apnea treatment reduced the increased risk by about two thirds.'

That last sentence suggests that the 500% increase in CAD risk is reduced by two-thirds - meaning there still is a 170% increase in risk even if you are successfully treated. The patient pool of successfully treated patients numbered only 40, which is not exactly a huge sample - and, though it may have been included in the analysis, the news report says nothing about the role of obesity or whether it was considered in the multivariate analysis.

From what I understand, about 40% of sleep apnea sufferers are overweight, which correlates pretty closely to the rate of overweight in the general population, so one would hope that the study sample reflected that...

Morpheus · Post by **Morpheus** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:59 am

minerva wrote: From what I understand, about 40% of sleep apnea sufferers are overweight, which correlates pretty closely to the rate of overweight in the general population, so one would hope that the study sample reflected that...

According the American Obesity Association, "There is a 12 to 30-fold higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea among morbidly obese patients compared to the general population. Among patients with obstructive sleep apnea, at least 60% to 70% are obese. " About 30% of all Americans are obese with another 30% overweight.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:02 pm

I understood that about 2/3 of Americans are overweight of which half of those are obese ... in line with the AOA distribution referenced by Morpheus and which still supports Minerva's observation that the study sample was indeed representative of the American population. On the other hand, 40 patients is barely a significant number to sample so that the overall study conclusions could still be spurious.

- roberto

Morpheus · Post by **Morpheus** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:49 pm

The study was done in Sweden, where obesity is currently a bit over 10% among adult Swedes. The U.S rate is three times that. Hmm. Maybe we need more smorgasbords....

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 12:53 pm

Oh yes that is right. I forgot their sample was Swedish.

Mmmm ... smorgasbords sounds good.

- roberto

Mask

Additional Comments: Started CPAP June 14, 2006, pressure set at 8.0