30% don´t use CPAP machine as sleep apnea patients on rise

The number of sleep apnea patients has been increasing steadily in recent years and the Helsinki-Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) annually receives 2,500 referrals for sleep apnea patients only from Helsinki area, said HUS in a press release on Tuesday.

Most of these patients will remain permanently in CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy.

In 2023, a joint clinical pathway for sleep apnea in the HUS region was updated and the division of labor between primary healthcare and HUS was established.

“There are dozens of causes for fatigue. CPAP therapy started at HUS treats sleep apnea and improves its symptoms, but if there is some other cause behind the symptoms, then ending up in the ‘sleep apnea pipeline’ can delay its treatment,“ said Senior Ward Physician Tiina Mattila of Meilahti Triangle Hospital.

Meanwhile, patients in Helsinki alone have around 18,000 CPAP machines on loan from HUS. The machine helps keep the airways open and reduces lapses in breathing during sleep.

Studies have shown that people of working age, those who are significantly overweight and those with severe sleep apnea benefit most from CPAP. Severe sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

But more than 30 percent of patients do not use their CPAP machine.

For the therapy to be useful, the patient should wear the CPAP machine for at least 60–70 percent of the time and a minimum of 4 hours per night.

However, not everyone commits to long-term CPAP therapy and the machine sits unused. Discontinuations of CPAP use occur daily at HUS.

HUS can monitor CPAP usage hours remotely. About 20 to 30 percent of the machines are practically abandoned.

In case of problems with the machine, the digital care pathway and sleep apnea nurses offer guidance.

"Some feel that the difficulty of using the CPAP machine outweighs its benefit. That is why we hope that the digital care pathway will provide additional information and support to help our patients succeed in their treatment,” said Paula Kauppi, Head of Pulmonary Diseases of HUS Heart and Lung Center.