Despite the higher rate of metabolic syndrome (MS) reversibility after CPAP therapy compared with placebo, most patients maintain the diagnosis, according to a study published in CHEST. Luciano F. Drager, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted a trial of adult patients with a recent diagnosis of MS and moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; apnea-hypopnea index [AHI], ≥15 events/ hour) to use therapeutic CPAP or nasal strips (placebo group) for 6 months. Before and after each intervention, they measured anthropometric variables, blood pressure, glucose, and lipid profile. To control potential related mechanisms and consequences, they also measured leptin and adiponectin, body composition, food intake, physical activity, visceral and hepatic fat, and endothelial function. Mean CPAP adherence was 5.5±1.5 hours/night. After 6 months, most patients with OSA randomized to CPAP kept the MS diagnosis, but the rate of MS reversibility was higher than observed in the placebo group.
