TABLE 1.
Baseline characteristics of the included patients according to treatment allocation
| Characteristic | All patients, n = 71 | Active OA, n = 36 | Passive OA, n = 35 | p a |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, median (IQR) | 59 (52, 64) | 60 (53, 63) | 59 (52, 66) | .407 |
| Male sex, n (%) | 56 (78.9) | 30 (83.3) | 26 (74.3) | .520 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2, median (IQR) | 28.6 (26.4, 32.4) | 28.8 (26.8, 31.8) | 28.1 (25.7, 32.4) | .597 |
| Current smoker, n (%) | 13 (18.3) | 7 (19.4) | 6 (17.1) | 1.00 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (2.8) | 0 (0.0) | 1.00 |
| Systolic BP, mmHg, median (IQR) | 150 (138, 160) | 144 (136, 158) | 155 (140, 167) | .137 |
| Diastolic BP, mmHg, median (IQR) | 90 (85, 95) | 90 (85, 95) | 90 (85, 95) | .917 |
| Cholesterol, mmol/L, median (IQR) | 5.7 (5.1, 6.5) | 5.7 (5.1, 6.2) | 5.9 (5.4, 6.7) | .269 |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L, median (IQR) | 1.3 (1.0, 2.0) | 1.4 (0.9, 2.2) | 1.3 (1.0, 1.8) | .833 |
| ESS, median (IQR) | 11 (8, 14) | 10 (8, 17) | 11 (8, 14) | .982 |
| AHI at baseline, events/hr, median (IQR) | 19 (14, 28) | 19 (15, 27) | 19 (12, 30) | .982 |
| OSA grade, n (%) | ||||
| Mild OSA (AHI <15 events/hr) | 20 (28.2) | 9 (25.0) | 11 (31.4) | .274 |
| Moderate OSA (AHI 15–29 events/hr) | 35 (49.3) | 21 (58.3) | 14 (40.0) | |
| Severe OSA (AHI ≥30 events/hr) | 16 (22.5) | 6 (16.7) | 10 (28.6) | |
| ODI at baseline, median (IQR) | 16 (10, 24) | 18 (11, 22) | 15 (10, 26) | .849 |
| Medication, n (%) | ||||
| ACE‐I or ARB | 12 (16.9) | 5 (13.9) | 7 (20.0) | .711 |
| β‐blocker | 10 (14.1) | 4 (11.1) | 6 (17.1) | .514 |
| Ca‐I | 4 (5.6) | 1 (2.8) | 3 (8.6) | .357 |
| Diuretic | 6 (8.5) | 3 (8.3) | 3 (8.6) | 1.00 |
| Biomarkers, median (IQR) | ||||
| WBCC, ×109/L | 6.2 (5.4, 7.3) | 6.1 (5.4, 7.0) | 6.3 (5.4, 7.4) | .968 |
| hsCRP, mg/L | 1.9 (0.9, 3.8) | 2.0 (1.0, 4.0) | 1.6 (0.8, 3.8) | .617 |
| IL‐6, ng/L | 1.01 (0.71, 1.77) | 1.00 (0.70, 1.84) | 1.04 (0.79, 1.48) | 0.966 |
| IL‐10, ng/L | 0.95 (0.68, 1.53) | 1.04 (0.83, 1.54) | 0.91 (0.58, 1.48) | .180 |
| TNF‐α, ng/L | 1.19 (1.00, 1.49) | 1.25 (1.10, 1.50) | 1.10 (0.98, 1.41) | .180 |
ACE‐I, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; AHI, apnea–hypopnea index; ARB, angiotensin receptor blocker; BP, blood pressure; Ca‐I, calcium inhibitor; ESS, Epworth Sleepiness Score; hsCRP, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein; IL, interleukin; IQR, interquartile range (25th, 75th percentiles); OA, oral appliance; ODI, oxygen desaturation index; OSA, obstructive sleep apnea; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; WBCC, white blood cell count
Baseline values for IL‐6, IL‐10, and TNF‐α were missing in two, two, and one patients, respectively, in the passive group
p value for the difference between active and passive groups