Diagnosing, Treating Sleep Apnea in Hospital Improves Survival, Says Study Published by American Jou

Undiagnosed sleep apnea is highly prevalent among hospital patients, and treating it after they're discharged can improve their chances of long-term survival, according to a ResMed-funded (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) study published in the American Journal of Medicine.

The study screened more than 5,000 hospitalized patients; 18.7 percent were estimated to have sleep apnea. Those who tested positive for sleep apnea were placed on positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy post-discharge. Patients who were adherent to therapy in the first three months had an improved chance of survival over the next 20 months, compared with those not adherent on PAP.

"We have a profound opportunity to identify and help tens of thousands of hospitalized patients who don't know they have a dangerous but treatable sleep condition," said Sunil Sharma, M.D., the study's principal investigator. "These results show just how important a hospital can be in addressing these issues."

"Up to 70 million Americans have sleep apnea, and only a fraction are diagnosed," said ResMed Chief Medical Officer Carlos M. Nunez, M.D. "When a medical condition brings them to a hospital, it's a prime opportunity to see if they also have sleep apnea, which they can then address -- and potentially live longer for doing so."

About the study
This was a clinical pathway evaluation where 5,062 patients admitted to the Cardiology, Internal Medicine and Family Practice services with a BMI ≥ 30 were screened from March 2013 to July 2016. The study was approved by an Institutional Review Board. Funding support from an unrestricted grant from ResMed.

About ResMed
ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD), a world-leading connected health company with more than 4 million cloud-connected devices for daily remote patient monitoring, changes lives with every breath. Its award-winning devices and software solutions help treat and manage sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and other respiratory conditions. Its 6,000-member team strives to improve patients' quality of life, reduce the impact of chronic disease and save healthcare costs in more than 120 countries.