Published in

MDPI, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 5(20), p. 4313, 2023

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20054313

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

The Management of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Public Health Problem—Interactions with Sleep Efficacy and Mental Health

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

With the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, it was stipulated that patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may have a greater risk of morbidity and mortality and may even experience changes in their mental health. The aim of the current study is to evaluate how patients managed their disease (sleep apnea) during the COVID-19 pandemic, to determine if continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) usage changed after the beginning of the pandemic, to compare the stress level with the baseline, and to observe if any modifications are related to their individual characteristics. The present studies highlight the level of anxiety, which was high among patients with OSA during the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05), with its influence on weight control (62.5% of patients with high levels of stress gained weight) and sleep schedule (82.6% reported a change in sleep schedule). Patients with severe OSA and high levels of stress increased their CPAP usage (354.5 min/night vs. 399.5 min/night during the pandemic, p < 0.05). To conclude, in OSA patients, the presence of the pandemic led to a greater level of anxiety, changes in sleep schedule and weight gain because of job loss, isolation, and emotional changes, influencing mental health. A possible solution, telemedicine, could become a cornerstone in the management of these patients.