# Prevalence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Adherence to CPAP for TAXI Drivers

## TL;DR

This study found a high rate of sleep apnea in taxi drivers, but CPAP therapy had little effect on blood pressure or alertness.

## Contribution

The study reports on OSA prevalence and CPAP adherence in taxi drivers, showing no significant clinical improvements.

## Key findings

- 68.8% of taxi drivers aged ≥60 had obstructive sleep apnea.
- CPAP adherence averaged 3.1 hours per night, with no significant improvement in blood pressure or vigilance.
- Only 23.5% of participants used CPAP for more than 4 hours per night.

## Abstract

We investigated the effects of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) on blood pressure (BP) and vigilance in taxi drivers with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This pilot study recruited taxi drivers aged ≥60 years to undergo polysomnography. Those diagnosed with OSA underwent 6 months of CPAP therapy. Baseline and follow-up assessments included 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT). Among the 32 participants, 22 (68.8%) were diagnosed with OSA (median age 63.0 [62.0–65.0] years; 21 males). The average CPAP adherence was 3.1 ± 2.3 h per night, with 23.5% using CPAP for more than 4 h per night. There were no significant changes in 24 h mean systolic ABPM (125.9 [116.8–134.9] mmHg to 126.0 [118.3–133.7] mmHg; p = 0.93) or reaction times measured by PVT (2.0 [0.0–3.0] lapses to 2.0 [1.0–3.0] lapses; p = 0.82) after CPAP therapy. A high prevalence of OSA was observed among taxi drivers. CPAP adherence was suboptimal and did not result in significant improvements in BP or vigilance.