The Efficacy of Continuous Airway Positive Pressure Ventilation on OSA Complicated with GERD: an Observational Study

Abstract

Background Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both common clinical diseases with the increasing prevalence year by year. There is still controversy as to whether continuous airway positive pressure ventilation (CPAP) can improve both OSA and GERD at the same time. Objective To investigate the efficacy of CPAP on OSA complicated with GERD. Methods A total of 169 patients diagnosed with OSA complicated with GERD in the geriatric and respiratory departments of Peking University People's Hospital from September 2020 to January 2023 were selected as research subjects, their general data were collected. The included patients were followed up regularly with the endpoint of GERD remission or 8 weeks of treatment, excluding those with no treatment compliance. The included patients were divided into the patients without proton pump inhibitor (PPI) and patients with PPI according to whether they received PPI. The patients without PPI were further divided into the CPAP group (n=43) and non-treatment group (n=53), the patients with PPI were divided into the CPAP+PPI group (n=32) and PPI group (n=41) according to whether they received CPAP treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curves of GERD remission rates in the CPAP group and non-treatment group, and the differences were compared by Log-rank test. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression model was used to explore the effects of CPAP on GERD remission in patients with OSA complicated with GERD. Results The median remission time to remission was 6 weeks in the CPAP group and 7.5 weeks in the non-treatment group; the cumulative GERD remission rate in the CPAP group was higher than the non-treatment group and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=4.182, P=0.041). The median remission time to remission was 3.9 weeks in the CPAP+PPI group and 6.1 weeks in the PPI group; the cumulative GERD remission rate in the CPAP+PPI group was higher than the PPI group and the difference was statistically significant (χ2=14.333, P<0.001). The results of the multivariate Cox proportional risk regression showed that CPAP was an influential factor for GERD remission in patients with OSA complicated with GERD without PPI〔HR=2.360, 95%CI (1.044, 5.338), P<0.05〕, CPAP was an influential factor for GERD remission in patients with OSA complicated with GERD treated with PPI〔HR=6.123, 95%CI (2.562, 14.635), P<0.05〕. Conclusion CPAP can improve GERD symptom in patients with OSA complicated with GERD. The efficacy of CPAP+PPI on GERD is superior to PPI alone.

Keywords

• sleep apnea, obstructive|gastroesophageal reflux|continuous positive airway pressure|proton pump inhibitors|proportional hazards models