Comorbid obesity and sleep apnea treatment preferences differ among patients and providers

DARIEN, IL – A new study to be presented at the SLEEP 2025 annual meeting found that sleep medicine professionals favor continuous positive airway pressure therapy as treatment for comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea, while patients lean toward treatment with tirzepatide.

Results show that more than 75% of patients and clinicians considered CPAP and tirzepatide to be acceptable treatment options. However, patients preferred tirzepatide over CPAP should evidence demonstrate equal effectiveness (48% vs. 35%), while sleep medicine professionals tended to favor CPAP over tirzepatide (53% vs. 26%). While both groups supported a treatment plan that combines CPAP with tirzepatide, patients were less enthusiastic than sleep medicine professionals about combination therapy (61% vs 88%).

“The results highlight a need for real-world comparative effectiveness data of CPAP vs tirzepatide, and a potential mismatch between patient and provider preferences when managing comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea,” said lead author Ahmed Khalaf, a sleep technician in the pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine division at University of California, San Diego. “Understanding these differences is critical for shared decision-making throughout the care plan, which may ultimately impact adherence and treatment success.”

Nearly 30 million adults in the U.S. have obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disease that involves repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep. Obstructive sleep apnea is commonly treated with CPAP therapy, which uses mild levels of air pressure, provided through a mask, to keep the airway open during sleep.

According to a recent statement from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the FDA approval of Zepbound (tirzepatide) for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity is a positive development for patients and clinicians, who now have another treatment option for this common and under-diagnosed sleep disorder. While Zepbound can reduce the severity of sleep apnea, it may not cure the disease. Therefore, for some patients who have sleep apnea, combining another treatment with Zepbound may be ideal to promote long-term results.

For this preliminary analysis, the researchers used data from an ongoing, national online survey including responses from 17 UCSD sleep medicine professionals and 365 patients; 42% of participants were women. Nearly 53% of patients had comorbid obesity and obstructive sleep apnea, 73% reported three or more prior attempts at weight loss, 23% reported being current or past users of tirzepatide and/or semaglutide, and 78% reported being current or past users of CPAP.

Dr. Chris Schmickl, principal investigator and assistant professor of medicine at University of California, San Diego, was surprised by the divergence in treatment preferences between patients and providers.

“Recognizing differing attitudes toward treatment is crucial for developing a realistic and achievable action plan,” said Schmickl. “Additional research to understand the underlying reasons behind these preferences will offer valuable insights for providers to guide treatment decisions.”

This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the AASM Foundation. The research abstract was published recently in an online supplement of the journal Sleep and will be presented Wednesday, June 11, during SLEEP 2025 in Seattle. SLEEP is the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

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Absract Title: The Treatment Preferences for Comorbid Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (PRO-CON OSA) Survey
Abstract ID: 0787
Poster Presentation Date: Wednesday, June 11, 11-11:45 a.m. PDT, Board #370
Presenter: Ahmed Khalaf, sleep technician, University of California, San Diego

About the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC

The APSS is a joint venture of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. The APSS organizes the SLEEP annual meeting each June (sleepmeeting.org).

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the AASM is a medical association that advances sleep care and enhances sleep health to improve lives. The AASM membership includes more than 9,500 physicians, scientists, and other health care professionals who help people who have sleep disorders. The AASM also accredits 2,300 sleep centers that are providing the highest quality of sleep care across the country (aasm.org).

About the Sleep Research Society 

The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals SLEEP and SLEEP Advances (sleepresearchsociety.org).