Podcast 139: CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea seems to improve some measures of the metabolic syndrome

A double-blind crossover study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that 3 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea ameliorates some components of the metabolic syndrome, which is present in about three quarters of such patients.

The authors acknowledge the difficulty of motivating patients to use CPAP consistenly, which could limit its use in routine practice, and they stress the need for counseling to accompany any CPAP prescription.

Links:

Physician’s First Watch coverage (free)

New England Journal of Medicine article (free)

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