HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Permissions Request Permissions Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (14) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chakravorty, I. Articles by Szczepura, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chakravorty, I. Articles by Szczepura, A.

Health utilities in evaluating intervention in the sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome

¹ Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Watford General Hospital, Watford, ² Dept of Respiratory Physiology, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordesley Green East, Birmingham and ³ Centre for Health Services Studies, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

CORRESPONDENCE: I. Chakravorty, Dept of Thoracic Medicine, Watford General Hospital, Vicarage Road, Watford, UK. Fax: 44 07069950024. E-mail: indranil@altavista.net

Keywords: european quality of life questionnaire, quality-adjusted life years utility, sleep apnoea, standard gamble

Received: August 23, 2001
Accepted June 7, 2002

Formulating a rational health policy necessitates the ability to compare between different healthcare interventions and disease scenarios. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy with a conservative lifestyle strategy in sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) was evaluated using health utility and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) as outcome measures.

A total 71 SAHS (apnoea/hypopnoea index 15 h^–1) patients completed a randomised, parallel group study over 3 months using utilities derived by the standard gamble approach (U_sg) and European quality of life questionnaire (Euroqol) (U_eq).

The severely impaired health status at baseline improved by 23% (U_sg 0.32 to 0.55) adding 8 QALYs in the CPAP group, compared to a 4% improvement with 4.7 QALYs added in the lifestyle group (U_sg 0.31 to 0.35). The U_eq showed a marginal change with CPAP (0.73 to 0.77) but did not demonstrate any improvement with lifestyle intervention.

The health status impairment in sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome patients is markedly improved by continuous positive airway pressure compared to a modest improvement with conservative lifestyle strategies using the standard gamble utility, which may be incorporated in effectiveness and economic analyses. The European quality of life questionnaire did not reflect a similar degree of impact and is probably not useful in this population.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				I. Chakravorty, M. Shastry, and K. Farrington Sleep apnoea in end-stage renal disease: a short review of mechanisms and potential benefit from its treatment Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., January 1, 2007; 22(1): 28 - 31. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. T. Ayas, J. M. FitzGerald, J. A. Fleetham, D. P. White, M. Schulzer, C. F. Ryan, R. Ghaeli, G. W. Mercer, P. Cooper, M. C. Y. Tan, et al. Cost-effectiveness of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy for Moderate to Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea. Arch Intern Med, May 8, 2006; 166(9): 977 - 984. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]