CPAP Therapy may Help Rejuvenate Sleep Apnea Patients

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious and life-threatening sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If someone snores loudly with sleep apnea, they may feel tired and be unable to attain a full night's rest.

Thus, the majority of people suffering from this medical condition may not get the rest they need. Fortunately, those with this medical condition may be able to receive help from CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, which can help people with more obstructive sleep apnea, according to a recent study regarding the treatment. Patients using this therapy also allegedly ppeared more youthful and attractive following the morning after treatment use. 

"This study showed that independent human raters - both medical personnel and members of the community - can perceive improved alertness, attractiveness, and youthfulness in the appearance of sleepy patients with obstructive sleep apnea, after they have been compliant with use of CPAP at home," said lead author and principal investigator Ronald D. Chervin, MD, MS, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. "These results show that the subjective impression of many clinicians, namely that their patients look more alert and sometimes more youthful after treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, may well be something that can be perceived by many other people."

The researchers recruited 20 adults struggling from obstructive sleep apnea. Due to their condition, they also reported high levels of daytime sleepiness. Before CPAP therapy, a digital photo was taken of the participants faces.  Then they were instructed to use the CPAP therapy for two months at home. Pictures were then taken once more after the experiment. The pictures were studied before and after the experiment, looking for new signs of youthfulness.

The study notes than an average of 68 percent of the raters believed that the post-experimental face was more alert than the pre-therapy face. An average of 67 percent of the raters also thought that the post-therapy photo was more attractive than the pre-therapy one and 64 percent of the raters thought the post-treatment pictures were more youthful.

More information regarding the study can be found via the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.