Letter to the Editor of Journal of Otolaryngology regarding “Risk of diabetes in patients with sleep apnea: comparison of surgery versus CPAP in a long-term follow-up study”

Abstract

Abstract Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with multiple chronic comorbidities with treatments including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), upper airway surgery (UAS), and hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HNS). Given the complexity of the condition and multiple treatment options, there is an ongoing debate to determine the best management. O’Connor-Reina et al. recently published a paper titled “Risk of diabetes in patients with sleep apnea: comparison of surgery versus CPAP in a long-term follow-up study.” In their study, the authors stated that OSA patients who received surgery had a 50% less chance of developing diabetes compared to patients who only received CPAP treatment. However, we would like to point out some limitations that warrant attention and caution interpretation of the findings by physicians and patients.

Keywords

• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)
• Upper airway surgery
• Diabetes
• Big data