Positional Therapy vs CPAP for Positional Sleep Apnea: Comparative Study
Is Positional Therapy as Effective as CPAP for Positional Sleep Apnea?
Positional therapy can be as effective as CPAP for patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea, offering a simpler treatment alternative with significantly better adherence rates, this comparative study demonstrates. The research found that patients with positional OSA (where sleep apnea occurs primarily when sleeping on the back) achieved similar reductions in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) with positional therapy devices compared to CPAP therapy—both treatments reduced AHI by approximately 60-70%. However, adherence to positional therapy was substantially higher at 83% compared to 65% for CPAP, and patients reported greater satisfaction and quality of life improvements with positional therapy. The study suggests that for the 50-60% of sleep apnea patients who have positional OSA, positional therapy represents a viable first-line treatment option.