Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on fatigue and sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: data from a randomized controlled trial

Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on fatigue and sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea: data from a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: Complaints of fatigue are frequent in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, the impact of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on fatigue remains unclear.

Methods: Fifty-nine men and women with OSA were randomly assigned to therapeutic or placebo CPAP in a double-blind fashion for a 3-week intervention period. Four outcome measures were assessed: (1) fatigue/vigor measured with the Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory— Short Form (MFSI-sf), the (2) fatigue and (3) vigor subscales of the Profle of Mood States—Short Form (POMS), and (4) the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.

Results: Compared with patients receiving placebo CPAP, those patients treated with therapeutic CPAP showed signifcant reductions in the apnea-hypopnea index, as well as decreases in both measures of fatigue and increases in vigor (P values < 0.05). The benefcial effect of therapeutic treatment was most pronounced in patients with high levels of fatigue at study onset. Signifcant treatment effects in sleepiness scores were not observed in the entire sample (P > 0.05); however, in a subset of patients with excessive sleepiness at the onset of treatment, ESS scores were signifcantly reduced with use of therapeutic CPAP (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Results suggest that 3 weeks of therapeutic CPAP signifcantly reduced fatigue and increased energy in patients with OSA. Therapeutic CPAP signifcantly reduced daytime sleepiness in patients who reported excessive sleepiness at the onset of treatment.


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