CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, a mechanical ventilation machine that treats nocturnal apnea, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by up to 31%. This is one of the most relevant conclusions reached by the Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLleida) published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Thus, the treatment of sleep apnea with this device, which La Vanguardia already reported in an extensive report this past April, manages to reduce the risk of suffering a cardiovascular episode if the machine is used for at least four hours. overnight, according to data analysis. CPAP therapy is a treatment that involves a machine that uses mild air pressure to keep your airways open while you sleep through a mask.
The research was carried out on the basis of data from 4,186 patients and IRBLleida researchers Ferran Barbé and Manuel Sánchez de la Torre participated.
“Until now there was no evidence of this and it could only be recommended based on the improvement of symptoms, which meant that some patients did not have adequate adherence.” That is, they did not follow the treatment, points out Ferran Barbé.
Obstructive apnea is a common, chronic disorder characterized by upper airway occlusion during sleep, causing intermittent oxygen deprivation, sleep fragmentation, and changes in intrathoracic pressure. Those affected have a high risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
This type of apnea, which occurs when breathing stops involuntarily, affects between 20 and 30% of the adult population, although 80% of affected people are not diagnosed.
Recent research demonstrates that adequate compliance with CPAP treatment (more than four hours of use per night) is a key factor in secondary cardiovascular prevention and reducing the risk of recurrence of a serious cardiovascular event.
As a general rule, the CPAP machine is prescribed for those patients - mostly men, since they are the ones who suffer the most from this apnea - who have more than 30 interruptions per hour.
