Continuous positive airway pressure
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of non-invasive ventilation that delivers a continuous level of air pressure through a mask during sleep.
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a form of non-invasive ventilation that delivers a continuous level of air pressure through a mask during sleep. In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the pressure is used to help maintain upper-airway patency and prevent recurrent obstructive respiratory events. OSA is commonly evaluated with polysomnography and measures such as the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI), while excessive daytime sleepiness may be assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Body mass index, obesity, craniofacial and upper-airway anatomy, and comorbidities such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease may be relevant to treatment assessment.
CPAP is the standard treatment for OSA, but its effectiveness in routine care depends substantially on sustained use, commonly termed CPAP adherence or persistence. Current research is therefore focused not only on pressure delivery, but also on individualized pressure selection, anatomical and nasal factors affecting tolerance, patient preferences, and longer-term clinical outcomes. The recent literature is concentrated within obstructive sleep apnea care and extends this work toward more personalized treatment strategies.
Where the papers sit
10 papers from the last 6 months study continuous positive airway pressure directly · updated from PubMed 9 Oct 2026
Study type 0 clinical trials · 7 observational · 3 human data
Themes 3 themes · 1 new direction
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CPAP Outcomes in Sleep Apnea
Long-term CPAP use in obstructive sleep apnea is being assessed through treatment persistence, patient preferences, and vascular and ocular outcomes. Retinal vasculature, corneal ulceration, and subsequent eye surgery provide recurring safety and endpoint questions. Nasal procedures are examined as potential influences on continued treatment in large claims populations. Prediction models and discrete-choice studies add implementation and preference data, but no single outcome dominates.
5 papers · 50%
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Personalized CPAP Management
Respiratory endotypes and upper-airway anatomy are being used to individualize CPAP pressure and anticipate adherence. Polysomnography-derived features support regression and machine-learning models, including XGBoost and random forest. Prediction of CPAP or high-flow nasal cannula failure extends this goal to preterm neonates. The work remains focused on clinical prediction rather than a single validated optimization strategy.
3 papers · 30%
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Elderly Sleep Apnea Care
Depressive symptoms and sustained treatment use are the central concerns in elderly patients receiving CPAP for obstructive sleep apnea. The Geriatric Depression Scale is used to assess whether therapy changes mood-related outcomes. Ambulatory initiation is examined for its effect on long-term adherence. The small body of work links psychological benefit with the practical challenge of maintaining treatment.
2 papers · 20%
CPAP is evaluated as a potential determinant of corneal disease rather than solely as treatment for OSA
Adults with obstructive sleep apnea in a 20-year matched TriNetX cohort 42484914Jul were studied not only for CPAP treatment outcomes but also for corneal ulceration, perforation, and keratoplasty. The study found that OSA was associated with increased risks of these corneal outcomes and explicitly compared CPAP-treated patients with untreated OSA and non-OSA controls. This extends CPAP’s role beyond respiratory treatment, adherence, and symptom improvement to a possible determinant of serious ocular morbidity, making corneal safety an outcome requiring direct evaluation.
Papers
The 10 papers from the last 6 months that study continuous positive airway pressure directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
CPAP Outcomes in Sleep Apnea (5)
- Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Retinal Vasculature in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A 7-Year Follow-Up. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42549840
- Association of obstructive sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure on risk of corneal ulceration and surgical interventions. International ophthalmology · 22 Jul 2026 PMID 42484914
- Development and internal validation of a prediction model for sleep apnea syndrome treated with continuous positive airway pressure based on claims and health checkup data linked to personal health records. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42262410
- Patient preferences for obstructive sleep apnea treatment attributes: a discrete choice experiment among CPAP users in Japan. Sleep · 18 May 2026 PMID 42149964
- CPAP treatment persistence following nasal procedures in obstructive sleep apnea: a real-world claims-based analysis of 1.3 million patients. Journal of medical economics · 13 May 2026 PMID 42126088
Personalized CPAP Management (3)
- Machine learning models for prediction of continuous positive airway pressure failure and high-flow nasal cannula failure in preterm neonates with respiratory distress. European journal of pediatrics · 8 Oct 2026 PMID 42848056
- Predicting optimal CPAP pressure in obstructive sleep apnea among Chinese patients using respiratory endotype derived from polysomnography. Scientific reports · 6 Aug 2026 PMID 42562864
- Examining the association between CT-defined low tongue posture and CPAP adherence. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 25 Jul 2026 PMID 42501151
Elderly Sleep Apnea Care (2)
- Impact of CPAP therapy on geriatric depression scale scores in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 7 Oct 2026 PMID 42842090
- Long-term CPAP adherence in elderly patients after ambulatory initiation. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 27 Aug 2026 PMID 42658313
By study type
Observational studies and case reports (7)
- Machine learning models for prediction of continuous positive airway pressure failure and high-flow nasal cannula failure in preterm neonates with respiratory distress. European journal of pediatrics · 8 Oct 2026 PMID 42848056
- Impact of CPAP therapy on geriatric depression scale scores in elderly patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 7 Oct 2026 PMID 42842090
- Long-term CPAP adherence in elderly patients after ambulatory initiation. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 27 Aug 2026 PMID 42658313
- Impact of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Treatment on Retinal Vasculature in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A 7-Year Follow-Up. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science · 4 Aug 2026 PMID 42549840
- Examining the association between CT-defined low tongue posture and CPAP adherence. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 25 Jul 2026 PMID 42501151
- Association of obstructive sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure on risk of corneal ulceration and surgical interventions. International ophthalmology · 22 Jul 2026 PMID 42484914
- CPAP treatment persistence following nasal procedures in obstructive sleep apnea: a real-world claims-based analysis of 1.3 million patients. Journal of medical economics · 13 May 2026 PMID 42126088
Human data, design not indexed (3)
- Predicting optimal CPAP pressure in obstructive sleep apnea among Chinese patients using respiratory endotype derived from polysomnography. Scientific reports · 6 Aug 2026 PMID 42562864
- Development and internal validation of a prediction model for sleep apnea syndrome treated with continuous positive airway pressure based on claims and health checkup data linked to personal health records. Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42262410
- Patient preferences for obstructive sleep apnea treatment attributes: a discrete choice experiment among CPAP users in Japan. Sleep · 18 May 2026 PMID 42149964
Written from 10 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-09-10. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.