Preventive medicine in obstructive sleep apnea-a systematic review and a call to action

The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the modifiable risk factors associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and analyze extant publications solely focused on prevention of the disease.

Studies focused on prevention strategies for OSA and modifiable risk factors were eligible for inclusion. A detailed individual search strategy for each of the following bibliographic databases was developed: Cochrane, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, and LILACS. The references cited in these articles were also crosschecked and a partial gray literature search was undertaken using Google Scholar. The methodology of selected studies was evaluated using the 14-item Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies.

Search resulted in 720 publications examining risk factors and prevention of OSA, as well as lifestyle modifications. Of these, a thorough assessment of the abstracts and content of each of these manuscripts led to the rejection of all but four papers, the latter being included in this systematic review. In contrast, a search regarding "Therapeutics" showed that 23 674 articles on OSA were published, clearly illustrating the imbalance between the efforts in prevention and those focused on therapeutics.

Notwithstanding the importance and benefits of technological advances in medicine, consideration of the needs of people with OSA and its consequences prompts advocacy for the prevention of the disease. Thus, despite the economic interests that focus only on diagnosis and treatment, strategies preferentially aimed at overall avoidance of OSA emerge as a major priority. Thus, public and healthcare provider education, multidimensional prevention, and early diagnosis of OSA should be encouraged worldwide.