Summary: ResMed presented 13 new clinical studies at SLEEP 2024, highlighting findings on insomnia prevalence and the impact of PAP therapy on patients with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea (COMISA). Key insights include the widespread prevalence of insomnia, reduced hospital visits among COMISA patients adhering to PAP therapy, and higher rates of depression and lower PAP adherence among women with OSA.
Key Takeaways:
- Prevalence of Insomnia: Approximately 17% of adults across Northern America, Latin America, and the Caribbean suffer from insomnia, underscoring the need for prioritizing sleep health in public health initiatives.
- Impact of PAP Therapy on COMISA Patients: Adherence to PAP therapy significantly reduces hospitalizations and emergency room visits among patients with comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, improving overall health outcomes.
- OSA and Depression: Women with OSA are more likely to experience depression and demonstrate lower adherence to PAP therapy, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve treatment compliance in this group.
In collaboration with medical researchers worldwide, ResMed presented 13 new clinical studies at SLEEP 2024, covering topics such as the prevalence of insomnia, the reduction in emergency room visits for patients with co-morbid insomnia and sleep apnea using PAP therapy, and the relationship between depression and OSA.
“The studies presented at SLEEP 2024 expand our understanding of patients with sleep disorders by examining critical areas such as the effect of demographic factors like gender on sleep health,” says Carlos M. Nunez, MD, ResMed’s chief medical officer, in a release. “The body of knowledge we have created and are continually expanding with research partners who are highly respected in their fields helps ResMed and the medical community achieve the goal of helping people live their healthiest lives.”
Prevalence of Insomnia
A study presented by Adam Benjafield, PhD, vice president of clinical research at ResMed, examined the prevalence of insomnia across Northern America, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Reviewing studies and survey data across 55 countries, the researchers extrapolated that approximately 17% of all adults in this region have insomnia and concluded this demonstrates the importance of sleep health as a priority within public health initiatives.
PAP Adherence Lowers Hospital Visits for COMISA Patients
Atul Malhotra, MD, director of research for Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, presented results of a study looking at the clinical and economic impact of treating OSA with PAP therapy among patients with OSA and comorbid insomnia, a combination known as COMISA.
Using administrative claims data, the researchers found that all-cause hospitalizations and emergency room visits for these patients were lower among those who consistently adhered to PAP therapy when compared to those who demonstrated lower PAP adherence (all-cause hospitalizations per person 0.09 vs 0.13, p<0.001; emergency room visits per person 0.46 vs 0.60, p<0.001). The study concluded that PAP therapy, when adhered to, can improve health outcomes among patients with COMISA.
Women With OSA More Likely to Have Depression and Fall Off PAP
Aimed at understanding the relationship between OSA and depression, ResMed’s clinical researchers and Sanjay Patel, MD, medical director of UPMC Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Program, analyzed more than 345,000 adults with OSA who had begun PAP therapy from administrative claims data.
Of the nearly 17% with depression, one-fourth (25.5%) were women. In both women and men, individuals with depression had a greater burden of comorbidities including severe obesity, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and heart failure.
The study also found lower adherence to PAP therapy among OSA patients with depression, particularly among women.
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