Health-related impact of illness associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Objectives: This real-world study aimed to characterize the impact of illness of excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who are adherent to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed participants in Evidation Health’s Achievement app (November 2020–January 2021), a mobile consumer platform that encourages users to develop healthy habits and provides incentives to participate in research. Participants were US-resident adults who self-reported a physician diagnosis of OSA and adherence to CPAP (≥4 hours/night, ≥5 nights/week) for≥6 months. The survey included the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire-Short Version (FOSQ-10), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and questions regarding comorbidities, CPAP use, caffeine consumption, and physical activity. EDS was defined as ESS score >10. There were more female than male participants; therefore, data were reported separately for females/males. Results: In total, 476 participants (female, n = 283 [59%]; mean [SD] age, 49.7 [10.8] years; obese, 74.4%) completed the survey; 209 had EDS (mean [SD] ESS, 13.8 [2.5]) and 267 did not (mean [SD] ESS, 6.3 [2.5]). Self-reported duration of CPAP use was consistent between the EDS/no EDS cohorts, with most participants using CPAP for 7 to 9 hours/night, 7 nights/week. Participants with EDS commonly reported anxiety ([EDS/no EDS] males: 31.5%/20.0%; females: 53.7%/39.5%), depression (males: 35.6%/24.2%; females: 55.9%/44.9%), and insomnia (males: 19.2%/6.7%; females: 25.7%/12.9%) and showed impairment on the FOSQ-10 ([EDS/no EDS] males: 80.8%/35.0%; females: 91.9%/53.1%). Participants with EDS reported that sleepiness ‘very often’ prevented physical activity and influenced dietary choices. Conclusion: EDS influences choices related to physical activity, caffeine consumption, and diet in patients who are adherent with CPAP. More research is needed to understand the association between EDS and choices of CPAP-adherent patients. Future research should explore the health-related consequences of residual EDS associated with OSA and whether they can be mitigated by improving EDS.