Positional therapy for the reduction of obstructive sleep apnea

Positional obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is defined as a 50% reduction in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) during non-supine sleep position. Positional OSA is more common in patients with mild to moderate OSA than in patients with severe OSA. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of positional therapy using a recently developed vest device for positional OSA. Fourteen participants with mild to moderate positional OSA were included. To evaluate the efficacy of the vest, changes in OSA observed between baseline and experimental polysomnography were assessed. The adverse event rate and subject satisfaction were also estimated. The AHI was lower in the experimental examination, with a value of 9.3 ± 8.3, than in the control examination, with a value of 22.8 ± 9.3 (P < 0.001). The AHI improved by approximately 57% when using the vest. Participant satisfaction with the vest was rated as “acceptable” and no adverse effects were reported. Positional therapy using the vest device appears to be a valuable treatment for patients with mild to moderate positional OSA.