True or False poll no. 71
Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)
TRUE or FALSE:
Moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults can be treated effectively with either continuous positive airway pressure or oral appliances.
TRUE
To address treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in Canada, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) undertook an Optimal Use project to assess the clinical- and cost-effectiveness, safety and patient experiences of interventions for obstructive sleep apnea in adults. Ethical issues, implementation considerations and the potential environmental impact of these interventions were also assessed. The Health Technology Expert Review Panel (HTERP) developed recommendations for treating obstructive sleep apnea based on the evidence.
This review showed that various interventions (e.g., continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances, weight loss programs, positional therapy and other positive airway pressure interventions) have similar effects on improving sleepiness across the severity scale for obstructive sleep apnea compared to inactive controls or pretreatment. However, continuous positive airway pressure may have the largest effect on improving the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, but only if patients adhere to therapy. Patient experiences with interventions differ, and some patients may not be able to tolerate continuous positive airway pressure. For those patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who cannot use continuous positive airway pressure, oral appliances are recommended.
Read more about CADTH and its work on obstructive sleep apnea at www.cadth.ca/OSA