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Risk for motor vehicle accidents rises with OSA

People in Sweden with untreated obstructive sleep apnea were more than twice as likely to be involved in motor vehicle accidents in which they were the driver than controls, according to study results.

“Obstructive sleep apnea [OSA] patients have an increased traffic accident risk and this risk can be modified if [continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)] treatment is used adequately,” study researcher Ludger Grote, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg, said in a press release.

Grote and colleagues compared the motor vehicle accident (MVA) rate in patients with OSA vs. the rate among controls in the general population using data from the Swedish Traffic Accident Registry (STRADA) from 2002 to 2012. Driver’s license holders (n = 1,478) in the patient cohort were cross-analyzed with controls in the STRADA registry (n = 21,118).

Eighty-two MVAs were registered in the patient group, 56 of which occurred before an OSA diagnosis.

Using Poisson analysis, the researchers said OSA patients had an estimated risk ratio of 2.45 (P < .001) to be the driver in an MVA compared with controls. Patients with OSA also had an adjusted OR of 1.9 (95% CI, 1.18-3.18) to be injured in an MVA vs. controls when factoring in age, sex and year of accident.

The use of sleep medications (OR = 2.07; 95% CI, 1.07-3.98) and greater annual driving distances (OR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01-1.18) among OSA patients also were associated with higher odds for an MVA.

On the contrary, MVA incidence fell by 70% among OSA patients who used CPAP therapy for at least 4 hours nightly. This incidence increased by 54% among patients who used CPAP therapy less than 4 hours nightly or stopped using it.

“It cannot be excluded that patients with OSA seeking medical attention to a higher extent may represent individuals who previously have experienced sleepiness behind the wheel, a near-miss accident, or even an actual MVA,” the researchers wrote. “Data therefore may not be generally extrapolated to the general effect of sleep apnea on traffic safety.” –by Ryan McDonald

Disclosure: Karimi reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.