Seasonal effects on the continuous positive airway pressure adherence of patients with obstructive sleep apnea

This study examined seasonal differences in continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy adherence among patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Patients aged ≥20 years with OSA who had used CPAP devices on the automatic setting for >12 consecutive months (n = 141) were included in this retrospective study from December 2015-2016. The information of CPAP use (pressure, hours of actual use) was extracted from database downloaded from patients' CPAP devices. Patients were divided into adherent and non-adherent groups using the cutoff point of 70% CPAP use for ≥4 h daily over the 1-year study period. CPAP use data were averaged for each season.

Patients in the adherent group were significantly older than those in the non-adherent group (p < 0.001). In the adherent group, the rate of ≥4 h daily CPAP use was significantly lower, the daily duration of CPAP use was significantly shorter, and the residual apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; events/hour) was significantly higher in summer than in other seasons (all p < 0.001). In the non-adherent group, the duration of daily CPAP use and the AHI differed significantly between winter and summer (p = 0.008 and p < 0.001, respectively).

Seasonal changes were associated with the CPAP adherence of patients with OSA. The study findings suggest that there is possibility of increasing the duration of CPAP use by adjusting the bedroom environment in hot and humid seasons.