Impact of the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure on perceived age and appearance: a prospective randomized crossover placebo-controlled study

• Grant number: 13/14025-5
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: July 01, 2014 - June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Rogério Santos da Silva
• Grantee: Rogério Santos da Silva
• Home Institution: Núcleo Interdisciplinar da Ciência do Sono (NICS). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Geraldo Lorenzi Filho

Abstract

Our society is currently concerned with physical appearance and aging. A recent study showed that the sleep deprived people appear less healthy, less attractive, and more tired compared with when they are well rested. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may also cause excessive daytime sleepiness and tiredness, however no studies have evaluated the impact of OSA on appearance. We therefore hypothesized that the treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) will positively affect the appearance of the patient. The purpose of this study is to compare effects of one month of treatment of CPAP and placebo (nasal dilator strip) on appearance of patient with OSA. We will prospectively include 30 consecutive patients of both genders, aged between 30 and 60 years with severe OSA. Patients will be treated for a month with CPAP and for another month with placebo therapy, in a randomized order. The treatments will be interposed with one week of washout. Patients will be submitted to polysomnography recording at study entry (basal), at the first night with CPAP (titration) and at first night with nasal dilator strip. During the study period, the patients will be followed every week by trained professionals to ensure adherence to CPAP (analysis of memory card data) and to nasal dilator (count of dilators strips). Patients will be evaluated at the beginning and at the end of each treatment for excessive sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), quality of life (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire - FOSQ-10) and will be also photographed. Photographs will be taken by a trained photographer in a standardized manner. The photographs will be displayed in a randomized order for 100 observers, who will be unaware of the conditions of the study. The observers will rate the faces for perceived age (expressed in years) and for attractiveness (very unattractive to very attractive), health (very sick to very healthy), and tiredness (not at all tired to very tired), rated on a visual analogue scale. The analysis will be done by intention to treat and protocol, considering CPAP use e 4 hours per night and 70% of nights with the use of nasal dilator. The present study will test a new outcome of CPAP treatment in patients with OSA. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

YAGIHARA, FABIANA; LORENZI-FILHO, GERALDO; SANTOS-SILVA, ROGERIO. Patients With OSA Are Perceived as Younger Following Treatment With CPAP. CHEST, v. 156, n. 3, p. 553-561, SEP 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.

YAGIHARA, FABIANA; LORENZI-FILHO, GERALDO; SANTOS-SILVA, ROGERIO. Nasal Dilator Strip is an Effective Placebo Intervention for Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL SLEEP MEDICINE, v. 13, n. 2, p. 215-221, 2017. Web of Science Citations: 2.