• Hao Sun, Jingpu Shi, Min Li, and Xin Chen.
• Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases and Center of Evidence Based Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang, China.
• Plos One. 2013 Jan 1;8(5):e62298.

BackgroundIt has been known for a long time that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the gold standard treatment for OSA; however, it is unknown whether or not CPAP treatment will improve the LVEF. The aim of the current study was to assess whether or not CPAP treatment improves the LVEF. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine the effect of CPAP treatment on the LVEF among patients with OSA.MethodsA literature search of PubMed, the Web of Science, and Cochrane Collaboration's database were utilized to identify eligible reports for this trial. Ten randomized controlled trails were examined and the meta-analysis was performed using STATA 11.ResultsA significant improvement in the LVEF was observed after CPAP treatment (weighted mean difference(WMD) = 3.59, 95% CI = 1.74-5.44; P<0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed that patients with OSA and heart failure had a significant improvement in the LVEF after CPAP treatment (WMD = 5.18, 95% CI = 3.27-7.08; P<0.001); however, the LVEF of patients with OSA only increased 1.11% and there was no statistical significance (WMD = 1.11, 95% CI = -1.13-3.35; P = 0.331). Furthermore, based on univariate meta-regression analysis, only the baseline AHI had a statistically significant correlation with the LVEF.ConclusionsOur meta-analysis supports the notion that CPAP may improve the LVEF among patients with OSA.

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