This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials investigating the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on non-invasive markers of arterial stiffness in patients with OSA.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of CPAP on markers of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix)) in patients with OSA. The study adhered to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We systematically reviewed MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL/CCTR, SciELO, and LILACS databases for randomized trials (RT) evaluating the changes in markers of arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (Aix) comparing CPAP vs. controls in patients with OSA. Reviewer Manager version 5.3 (R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) was used to perform meta-analysis. Risk of bias analysis was performed using the Cochrane tool.

Of the 464 studies initially retrieved, 9 relevant studies with 685 participants were included in the analysis. The studies presented moderate risk of bias. CPAP did not significantly reduce Aix (mean difference, − 1.96 (95% confidence interval (CI) − 5.25 to 1.33), p = 0.24), whereas it significantly changed PWV (mean difference, − 0.44 (95% confidence interval (CI) − 0.76 to − 0.12), p = 0.00).

CPAP treatment was effective in improving arterial stiffness by reducing PWV in patients with OSA. Additional randomized trials, however, should be performed to confirm these findings.