ArticleSleep2026
Dose-response relationship of sleep apnea therapy and healthcare use in patients with comorbidities.
Article in Sleep, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Investigating the Incremental Cost and Utilization Burden of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Overweight to Severely Obese Patients.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026Article
- Editorial: Novel technologies in the diagnosis and management of sleep-disordered breathing, volume III.Frontiers in sleep · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
STUDY
objectivesObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has complex interactive relationships with several other conditions. Previous research suggests that consistent adherence to positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy can reduce healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in comorbid populations. We hypothesized that PAP therapy use would be associated with dose-dependent improvements in HCRU among patients with OSA and comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type 2 diabetes, depression, heart failure, or atrial fibrillation.
methodsWe analyzed a linked dataset of medical/pharmacy claims data and objective PAP usage data for adults with newly diagnosed OSA between January 2015 and May 2021. Comorbidities were defined by at least two healthcare encounters or at least one hospitalization with the relevant diagnosis in the year before PAP initiation (index). HCRU outcomes included all-cause hospitalizations and emergency room (ER) visits over 12 and 24 months post-index.
resultsAmong 377 830 patients with OSA (mean age: 51.7 years; 57.7% male), 6.6% had COPD, 18.7% type 2 diabetes, 16.5% depression, 4.2% heart failure, and 5.2% atrial fibrillation. Across all comorbidity cohorts, PAP usage was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in HCRU over 12 and 24 months. Risk-adjusted analyses showed HCRU benefits beginning at 2 to less than 4 hours of average nightly PAP use. Each additional hour of use was associated with a 4.1%-6.2% reduction in hospitalizations and ER visits (all analyses p < .0001).
conclusionsPAP therapy use is associated with dose-dependent reductions in HCRU among patients with OSA and major comorbidities. These findings may support data-driven reimbursement policies and highlight the value of treating OSA in complex patient populations.
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Registered trials
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