Sleep Apnea Intervention for Cardiovascular Disease Reduction

Summary

Moderate to severe sleep apnea (a high number of breathing pauses on a sleep study) is a common health problem that is often associated with loud snoring and sleepiness.The medical term for this problem is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). People with OSA often have an increased risk for developing heart disease or may already have a diagnosis of heart disease.

A clinical research study is being conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) to compare the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to conservative medical therapy with participation in one of four groups:

1. Active-PAP Therapy Group (Active-Beh or Active+Beh): Will receive standard medical treatment for sleep apnea with active-PAP. Participants will be randomized to either:

1. Active-Pap with respiratory therapist visits only
2. Active-Pap with respiratory therapist visits and cognitive behavioral therapist visits.
2. Alternative PAP Group (Sham): Will receive lower air delivery level than active-PAP therapy group. Will also have meetings with respiratory therapist.
3. Conservative Medical Therapy Group (CMT)\*: Will receive a free supply of nasal strips for the duration of their treatment period (either 6 months or 12 months) and follow healthy sleep hygiene guidelines for how to change sleep habits to minimize incidences of apneas (breathing disturbances during sleep). Frequent follow-up support with research coordinator.

A sleep doctor or cardiologist will have indicated that a potential participant is an appropriate candidate to receive PAP or CMT as acceptable approaches to treat his/her sleep apnea. Participants will be recruited between the ages of 45-75 years who have diagnosed heart disease or between 55-75 years for those who have risk factors for developing heart disease.

This is a 6-12 month study\*\* to evaluate alternative ways to address the potential for OSA treatment to reduce heart disease and to identify those features that would strengthen a later, large-scale randomized controlled trial.

We will test the hypothesis that active treatment for OSA with CPAP reduces CVD morbidity and mortality.

\*All randomized participants will be given conservative medical therapy (CMT).

\*\*For those randomized after December 31, 2012, follow-up assessment will only be 6 months long

Conditions

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Conservative Medical Therapy (CMT)

All participants will meet with a research assistant who will provide 30 minutes of instruction on sleep hygiene and healthy lifestyle guidelines. Each subject's sleep routine will be reviewed with the aim to identify appropriate bed and wake times that provide a consistent schedule and allow for at least 7 hours of time in bed per night. Habits that may impact sleep, such as alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and exercise close to bedtime will be reviewed with appropriate guidance on how to minimize sleep disrupting exposures. Subjects will be provided external nasal dilator strips (Breathe Right®) and advised on how to maximize sleep time in a non-supine position using bed elevation, wedge pillows and/or objects affixed to the back of their night clothes as appropriate.

DEVICE

Sham PAP (Sham)

In addition to receiving CMT, participants in this treatment arm will receive a sham PAP unit. Sham devices look like active PAP devices, however, the exhalation port is increased and an orifice-resistor is inserted between the pump and tubing, creating a marginal pressure. A heated humidifier will be provided with this device and PAP masks will be fit and provided following the same procedures as for the active-PAP arms.

DEVICE

Active PAP with RT Support (Active-Beh)

In addition to receiving CMT, participants will receive active-PAP and meet with a PAP-specialist . The CPAP specialist would meet with the participant in person throughout the course of the study (set-up, 1-week, 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 9-month). Using the available data from the PAP monitor, the PAP specialist will discuss PAP use, mask leaks, and residual AHI to assist with troubleshooting. Adjustments to equipment would be performed as needed to improve adherence. It is estimated that each in-person follow-up adherence visit with the PAP-specialist would last 30 minutes.

DEVICE

Active PAP with Behavioral Modification (Active+Beh)

In addition to receiving CMT and active-PAP, participants will meet with a behavioral interventionist in addition to PAP-specialist visits. Participants also would speak with the behavioral interventionist over the course of the study (set up, 1-week, 3-week, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months, 5-months and 8-months). The duration of the first 2 behavioral intervention sessions are estimated to be 1-hour long, with subsequent 30-minutes intervention sessions. The intervention will be based on social cognitive theory and feedback concerning adherence with targeted problem solving training.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  collaborator OTHER

• Brigham and Women's Hospital

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Susan Redline, MD, MPH · Brigham and Women's Hospital

• Murray Mittleman, MD, DrPH · Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

45 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2011-03-31

Primary Completion

2014-03-31

Completion

2014-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations