Abstract
BACKGROUND: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined by recurrent apnea and hypopnea during sleep. The main treatment of OSA is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Adherence to CPAP is challenging and depends on multiple factors. This study was designed to evaluate the compliance with CPAP in patients with OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective observational study including 106 patients with confirmed OSA by a standard polysomnography. We recorded CPAP usage hours after 7 and 90 days by a smart card. We compared the adherence of the patients with respect to body mass index (BMI), gender, smoking status, living area, and education level. RESULTS: Patients in the 18-45 years' age group had higher compliance in mean (standard deviation) daily use of CPAP (0.93 [0.40] h) compared to the other age groups (P < 0.001). Patients with BMI >35 had better compliance (1.13 [0.44]) than the other patients (P < 0.001). Furthermore, nonsmokers and highly educated patients had better compliance compared to the others (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Age, BMI, education, and smoking are important factors in adherence to CPAP in patients with OSA.