Effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure therapy on health-related quality of life in sleep apnoea patients treated in the routine clinical setting of a university hospital.

The effectiveness and cost-utility of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) treatment was evaluated in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS), using a 15D health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument in a routine clinical setting. In total, 78 OSAS patients (43 receiving nCPAP; 35 receiving lifestyle guidance) were included in the study. nCPAP treatment had a minor effect on the total HRQoL score; only the dimension of sleep improved in both groups. The mean +/- SD number of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained was 0.016 +/- 2.34 in the nCPAP group and 0.386 +/- 1.16 in the lifestyle guidance group. The mean cost per QALY gained was euro73 375 for the nCPAP group and euro845 for the lifestyle guidance group. The effect of nCPAP treatment on the HRQoL in a population of unselected OSAS patients was surprisingly small and the cost per QALY gained was high.