Sleep apnoea management in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic: data from the European Sleep Apnoea Database (ESADA)

2020

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent with a male to female predominance of two to one, and is more common in middle-aged and elderly subjects [1]. Affected patients often present with comorbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (systemic hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation), and diabetes mellitus Type II [2]. The strong overlap between the profile for SDB patients and the identified risk factors for adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infection that include age, male gender, and cardio-metabolic comorbidity [3] suggest that SDB patients may benefit from effective therapy if confronted with COVID-19 infection [4].