0495 Association of Cannabis Use and Symptoms Among Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Abstract

Introduction

The use of recreational substances such cannabis is linked to sleep quality. Long-term cannabis use has been linked to increased sleep latency, less slow wave sleep, and worse sleep efficiency. However, little is known about the relationship between cannabis use and subjective OSA symptoms. We examined the association of cannabis use and symptoms among patients newly diagnosed with and yet to be treated for OSA.

Methods

This was an interim analysis of participants enrolled in the NICEPAP Study (n=182/267, NCT05067088) a prospective observational study assessing physiological predictors of CPAP effectiveness. Participants self-reported cannabis use over a six-month period prior to OSA diagnosis. Outcomes included symptoms of pain affecting sleep, parasomnias, nightmares, sleep latency, sleep duration, insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), sleep quality PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) and OSA-related quality of life FOSQ (Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire). Groups were compared using Chi-squared, and the Mann-Whitney U tests as appropriate.

Results

We studied 182 enrolled participants, 47% were male with a mean age of 51.3 years; of this total sample, 32 patients (17%) reported cannabis use. Users of cannabis reported more regular alcohol use and tobacco use (72% vs 46% and 44% vs. 29% respectively, p< 0.01). No differences were observed in other demographics, sleep latency, self-report sleep duration or OSA severity. Cannabis users reported higher but not statistically significant proportion of pain during sleep (38% vs 25%, p=0.17). No differences from non-users were noted for other presenting symptoms including nightmares, parasomnias, insomnia, sleepiness, sleep quality or OSA-related quality of life.

Conclusion

One in six individuals in this cohort of individuals recently diagnosed with OSA, reported use of cannabis. Cannabis users also noted higher consumption of alcohol and tobacco. There was a trend for higher prevalence of pain affecting sleep. Notably, no other statistical differences were noted upon analysis of daytime and nighttime symptoms. Further research is needed to better understand the long-term effects of cannabis on subjective symptoms of sleep in OSA patients.

Support (if any)

This study was supported by the Parker B. Francis Foundation, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute NIH/NHLBI