SAN DIEGO – A number of medical and scientific experts presented critical new research on sleep conditions and their effect on cardiovascular health at the American Thoracic Society International Conference. The ResMed-supported research provided new insights into the effectiveness of PAP therapy in treating sleep-disordered breathing and its associated clinical benefits.

The studies were among 26 supported by ResMed in collaboration with scientists. Several studies demonstrated findings showing continued effectiveness of PAP therapies for patients with sleep disorder conditions like obstructive sleep apnea.

Among these was an analysis of data from 27 randomized control trials and non-randomized control studies on the effects of PAP on patients with OSA. This meta-study, presented by Dr. Atul Malhotra, found mortality was 37% lower on average in patients with PAP-treated OSA vs untreated OSA.

An additional study, presented by German physician and sleep researcher Holger Woehrle, looked at 17,000 treatment-naïve patients in both PAP-treated and untreated cohorts and showed PAP treatment reduces hospitalization in patients with OSA over the first four years of treatment. This finding demonstrates a correlation between the use of PAP therapy and a reduction in use of healthcare resources.

 A study presented by ResMed’s research scientist Elroy Boers projected an increase in OSA cases in the United States using patient data calibrated across subgroups of age, sex and body-mass index (BMI). According to this research, due to the growing and aging population in the United States as well as increased BMI trends, the already substantial burden of OSA is expected to increase by 27.6% by 2050 in men and women aged 30-70, with an overall prevalence within this group projected to be 26%. As OSA continues to increase, reliance on PAP therapy will rise as it remains the gold standard for treatment.