Patients With OSA Are Perceived as Younger Following Treatment With CPAP

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of CPAP treatment and placebo intervention on the facial appearance of patients with OSA.

Methods: Patients with severe OSA were randomized to receive either CPAP treatment or nasal dilator (placebo) intervention for 1 month. The sequence was interposed by 15 days of washout with no treatment. Patients were evaluated by using questionnaires, polysomnography, and facial photographs at baseline and at the end of both interventions. In an electronic survey, the photographs were presented in a randomized order to 704 observers who rated the perceived age, health, attractiveness, and tiredness of the patients. Observers were unaware of the patients' conditions.

Results: Thirty patients (age, 46 ± 9 years; 21 men; apnea-hypopnea index, 61.8 ± 26.2) were evaluated. During each intervention period, patients used CPAP 6.0 ± 1.7 h per night on 94% of the nights and the placebo intervention on 98% of the nights. After CPAP treatment, patients were rated younger (47.9 ± 3.5 years) than they appeared at baseline (53.9 ± 4.0 years) and following the placebo treatment (49.8 ± 3.7 years) (P < .001). Linear regression analysis identified that CPAP adherence, total sleep time, and percentage of total sleep time with oxyhemoglobin saturation < 90% were predictors of a decreased age rating following CPAP treatment.

Conclusions: Patients with severe OSA had a younger appearance following 1 month of CPAP treatment. This benefit can serve as an additional source of motivation for patients with OSA to comply with CPAP treatment and may facilitate OSA management.

Trial registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02117271; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.