Positive Airway Pressure Therapies and Oxygen Therapy in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): 5-Year Survival

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) remains the first-line therapy, but its long-term effectiveness is limited by suboptimal adherence, with only 50–60% of patients achieving the recommended use. Evidence on adherence with alternative modalities, such as bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) or oxygen therapy, is even more limited. Furthermore, few studies have directly compared these treatments with each other, particularly in relation to survival outcomes. Objective: Evaluate 5-year survival in patients with OSA treated with CPAP, BIPAP, or oxygen therapy. Methods: A retrospective cohort study with survival analysis was conducted in subjects with OSA followed at a tertiary-level institution in Colombia between January 2005 and December 2021. Results: Among 3039 patients with OSA (mean age 59.6 years; 59.8% male), the five-year mortality rate was 5.8%. Deceased patients presented a higher prevalence of comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (all p < 0.001). Adherence to CPAP was significantly lower in deceased patients. Survival analysis showed the highest five-year survival among adherent CPAP/Auto-CPAP users (95.6%), followed by non-adherent CPAP (95%) and adherent BiPAP users (94.1%). Lower survival was observed in non-adherent BiPAP users (91.7%) and oxygen therapy patients (80.6%). In multivariable analysis, treatment type, older age, congestive heart failure, chronic lung disease, and metastatic cancer were independently associated with increased mortality risk. Conclusions: Five-year survival in patients with obstructive sleep apnea was significantly associated with the treatment modality and adherence level.