Central sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with negative health outcomes. Intake of opioids influences stability of breathing and can cause central apneas. Screening for and treatment of SDB is recommended in opioid users. This sub-analysis of the READ-ASV registry investigated the effects of adaptive servo-ventilation therapy (ASV) on SDB symptoms in opioid users.
Patients initiated on ASV who reported intake of opioids at baseline were included in this analysis of real-world registry data. Patients were prospectively followed up for 12 months. Disease-specific quality of life was assessed with the Functional Outcomes of Sleep questionnaire (FOSQ). Sleepiness was measured with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Symptomatic patients were defined as having a FOSQ score <17.9 and an ESS score of >10.
86 patients who reported opioid use were included. The population had severe SDB (median AHI 55/h), the majority (n=75 [87%]) had comorbidities, and 81.6% (40/49 with follow-up available questionnaires) were symptomatic at baseline. ASV effectively treated SDB (residual median AHI from device data [AHIflow] 1.5/h). The FOSQ (+1.4 points; p=0.003) and ESS (-3 points; p=0.029) scores improved significantly at follow-up compared with baseline, and improvements in disease-specific quality of life were more pronounced in symptomatic patients.
ASV treatment of central breathing disorders in opioid users resolved SDB and was associated with significant improvements in disease-specific quality of life and sleepiness. ASV treatment may therefore be an actionable intervention to counteract the negative effects of opioids on SDB and quality of life.
Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT03032029.