Abstract
Objectives:
Describe the therapeutic effect of upper airway stimulation (UAS) therapy withdrawal on objective and subjective measures of sleep apnea severity.
Methods:
From a cohort of 126 participants in a prospective therapy effectiveness trial, 46 subjects were randomized to therapy “ON” and “OFF” groups. Primary outcomes measures were apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI) changes and secondary outcome measures included Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ), sleep architecture, hypoxemia, snoring, and blood pressure.
Results:
Groups did not differ at pretreatment baseline or at 12 months of therapy in polysomnography or self-reported measures. Following randomized controlled trial (RCT) therapy withdrawal, change in AHI and ODI significantly differed in “ON” and “OFF” groups (1.7 versus 18.2 and 1.6 versus 17.0 events/hour P < .0001). Therapy withdrawal worsened ESS, FOSQ, snoring, hypoxemia, and arousal index in the therapy “OFF” but no change was observed in the “ON” group (P < .001). The therapy “ON” group demonstrated a reduction in blood pressure at 12 months compared to baseline which was maintained through the RCT.
Conclusions:
Withdrawal of therapeutic UAS results in relapse of both subjective and objective measures of OSA.
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