MONDAY, July 27, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), hypoglossal nerve stimulation (HGNS) is associated with variable but potential long-term cardiovascular benefits, according to a study published online July 16 in JAMA Otolaryngology.
Neil Kondamuri, M.D., from the University of Chicago Medicine, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database of patients with OSA undergoing HGNS between 2015 and 2024 who were matched to controls meeting HGNS candidacy criteria who did not undergo implantation.
The study population included 3,786 patients who underwent HGNS and 3,395 controls. The researchers found that HGNS was not associated with diabetes diagnosis within two years among patients without baseline cardiovascular disease but was associated with a lower risk after two years. In addition, HGNS was associated with an increased risk for hypertension diagnosis within two years, but with a reduced risk after two years. HGNS was associated with an increased risk for a minor or major cardiovascular event diagnosis within two years among patients with baseline diabetes or hypertension, but no association was seen after two years; the risks began decreasing after two years.
"Studies demonstrate that if patients are not using positive airway pressure consistently and regularly -- five to six hours per night most days of the week -- they may not see the benefits we demonstrate with HGNS in preventing downstream health risks," Kondamuri said in a statement.
One author disclosed ties to the medical device industry and has a provisional patent pending for OSA device technology.
