Patients with OSA commonly report fatigue, lost work productivity, limited daily activity

Key takeaways:

• In addition to sleep, OSA impacts work and activities such as childcare, chores, exercise and shopping.
• Anxiety and feelings of depression/hopelessness were reported by more than 50% of the assessed population.

As a result of living with obstructive sleep apnea, many patients report fatigue, lost work productivity and limits on daily activities, according to survey findings provided by Apnimed.

“Historically, we have focused on other endpoints such as high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. such as heart attacks and stroke,” Seema Khosla, MD, FCCP, FAASM, medical director of the North Dakota Center for Sleep and consultant for Apnimed, told Healio. “This [survey] allows us more insight into the lived experiences of people with OSA and to better understand some of the burdens they have that they may not volunteer in the course of a sleep follow-up visit.

“This helps us, as clinicians, to gently ask questions to try and better assess these areas,” Khosla continued.

Using the Sleep Health Inquiries on Needs and Emotions (SHINE) survey, Apnimed evaluated responses from 1,500 patients with OSA to gain insight into what this patient population faces and goes through in their daily lives because of this sleep disorder.

Notably, Apnimed worked with the Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners, the American Sleep Apnea Association and Project Sleep — all sleep health advocacy groups — when reviewing the findings, according to an Apnimed press release.

Fatigue, mental health

Nearly three-quarters of patients (74%) reported being impacted by fatigue, according to the release and the survey’s webpage.

In terms of mental health, the survey’s webpage and fact sheet said that over half of the assessed population had anxiety (54%) or felt depressed/hopeless (67%). ADHD/ADD was slightly less common but still was reported by 23% of patients.

“We know that sleep is incredibly important for mood,” Khosla told Healio. “We also know that mood, particularly anxiety, can impact sleep. We need to understand this bi-directional relationship and explore how treating sleep disorders may positively impact mental health.”

Importantly, Khosla noted that research on sleep disorder treatment in patients with mental health disorders may be difficult.

“This can be challenging since mental health disorders may make it harder to get good, restorative sleep and may also impact how someone is able to tolerate their treatment,” Khosla told Healio. “For example, military veterans with PTSD may struggle to use a CPAP device.

“We need to treat both the mental health component as well as the sleep component and may need to collaborate with our mental health colleagues to better help our patients,” Khosla continued.

During this type of research, the patient’s perspective will be key, Khosla told Healio.

“They are the ones who know themselves the best,” she said. “Their input is crucial when trying to partner with our patients to determine the most appropriate treatment for their sleep disorder.”

Relationships, work, daily living

Switching to questions centered around how patients with OSA feel when around their family and friends, the release and survey’s webpage highlighted responses revealing that exhaustion from the sleep disorder impacts many patients’ ability to be present (66%) and that sharing a bed is not possible for nearly 50% of the surveyed cohort.

Additionally, engagement appears to decline with OSA, as 67% reported that they feel less socially engaged, according to a survey fact sheet and infographic.

“People living with OSA have a much higher emotional burden than we have previously recognized,” Khosla told Healio. “This disorder impacts not only patients but also their circle of family, friends and co-workers.”

When asked about their professional lives in the last week, a majority of the population (92%) reported that “OSA symptoms have impacted their work productivity,” according to the release and webpage.

Further, OSA and patient career goals often do not go together hand in hand, as over half (62%) report poor chances of achieving these goals because of the disorder.

The negative impact of OSA also extends into activities such as childcare, chores, exercise and shopping, as the release and fact sheet indicated that 86% of patients reported limits on these activities due to the disorder.

Key concerns of the overall population included “long-term health consequences” (67%) and dying (34%), according to the release.

The release also noted that some frequently reported feelings in a subgroup of patients between the ages of 18 and 34 years were those of misunderstood/isolation (56%), anxiety (54%) and low self-esteem (42%).

When asked what is next in terms of taking action to address what the survey revealed about patients with OSA, Khosla said there is commitment to life-long learning in medicine.

“This falls in line with this commitment,” Khosla told Healio. “We can use these results to guide our clinical conversations with patients and, I hope, let our patients know that we are here to partner with them to improve their health, including their emotional health.”

References:

• Apnimed announces groundbreaking survey revealing the alarming hidden impact of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/apnimed-announces-groundbreaking-survey-revealing-the-alarming-hidden-impact-of-obstructive-sleep-apnea-osa-302270750.html. Published Oct. 9, 2024. Accessed Oct. 17, 2024.
• Insights on living with sleep apnea. https://apnimed.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Apnimed-2024-SHINE-Infographic.pdf. Accessed Oct. 17, 2024.
• SHINE survey fact sheet. Accessed Oct. 17, 2024.
• Shining a light on living with OSA: SHINE survey results. https://apnimed.com/shine-survey/. Accessed Oct. 17, 2024.