Age- and gender-dependent adherence with continuous positive airway pressure therapy

Background: Several studies have analysed adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy but little is known on the effects of age and gender. Methods: Data from 4281 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treated with CPAP (S8, ResMed, Sydney, Australia) were analysed, including apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), mask pressure, leakage, period of use (hours of use/night), and efficiency (days of use/total days). Patterns of use and treatment efficacy were compared between different age groups and genders. Results: Average numbers of days used per week (range of the subgroups 5.8 +/- 1.6 to 6.3 +/- 1.2 days/week) and period of use (range 363 +/- 88 to 395 +/- 120 min) increased with age. Residual AHI(CPAP) (range 4.8 +/- 3.4 to 11.1 +/- 9.0/h), leakage (range 0.09 +/- 0.11 to 0.27 +/- 0.321/s) increased significantly with age. Males had statistically significantly higher average hours of use (377 +/- 94 vs. 370 +/- 96 min), AHICPAP (6.4 +/- 4.9 vs. 5.4 +/- 4.5/h), mask pressure (8.8 +/- 2.0 vs. 8.4 +/- 1.9 cm H(2)O), and leakage (0.13 +/- 0.16 vs. 0.11 +/- 0.151/s) than females. Conclusion: Adherence to therapy is high and therapeutic efficacy is excellent in long-term CPAP users. Adherence is both age- and gender-dependent, but the differences are small and not clinically relevant. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.