Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of patients.
| Nurse-Communicated (n = 101); Age: 55.6 ± 13.1 (range: 26.0–87.0) | Physician-Led (n = 98); Age: 54.6 ± 12.5 (range: 29.0–88.0) | |
|---|---|---|
| Men, n (%) | 75.0 (74.3) | 66.0 (67.4) |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 30.2 ± 4.2 | 30.3 ± 4.4 |
| Neck circumference, cma | 41.5 ± 4.1a | 38.8 ± 4.1a,** |
| Prior ENT surgery, n (%)b | 31.0 (30.7) | 19 (19.4) |
| Comorbidities, n (%) | ||
| Arterial hypertension | 43.0 (42.5) | 30.0 (30.6) |
| Cardiovascular disease | 9.0 (8.9) | 11 (11.2) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 11.0 (10.9) | 5.0 (5.1) |
| Dyslipidemia | 39.0 (38.6) | 24.0 (24.5)* |
| Atrial fibrillation | 4.0 (4.0) | 3.0 (3.1) |
| Obstructive sleep apnea variables (HSAT) | ||
| REI, events/h | 32.1 ± 12.2 | 34.6 ± 15.3 |
| Supine index, events/h | 46.1 ± 18.7 | 52.4 ± 20.9* |
| ODI 3%, events/h | 32.9 ± 12.4 | 33.9 ± 14.9 |
| T90, % of TRT | 6.2 ± 5.6 | 7.6 ± 9.0 |
| Treatment recommended (n, %) | ||
| Positive airway pressure | 79.0 (78.2) | 79.0 (80.6) |
| Mandibular advancement device | 2.0 (2.0) | 1.0 (1.0) |
| Upper airway surgery | 6.0 (5.9) | 6.0 (6.1) |
| Weight loss | 2.0 (2.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| Positional therapy | 2.0 (2.0) | 2.0 (2.0) |
| No treatment | 10.0 (9.9) | 10.0 (10.2) |
| Epworth Sleepiness Scale score | 10.7 ± 4.6 (range: 2.0–21.0) | 9.5 ± 5.2 (range: 0.0–21.0) |
| Epworth Sleepiness Scale score > 10, n (%) | 53.0 (52.5) | 42.0 (42.9) |
| Quebec Sleep Questionnaire score | ||
| Daytime sleepiness | 4.7 ± 1.5 | 4.9 ± 1.6 |
| Diurnal symptoms | 4.3 ± 1.7 | 4.3 ± 1.7 |
| Nocturnal symptoms | 4.5 ± 1.3 | 4.5 ± 1.4 |
| Emotions | 5.0 ± 1.3 | 5.0 ± 1.4 |
| Social | 5.0 ± 1.5 | 5.0 ± 1.5 |
Values are expressed as means ± standard deviation unless otherwise specified. *P < .05, **P < .001. an = 93 in nurse-communicated management group and n = 32 in physician-led management group. bPrior ENT surgery refers to any nasal (turbinate reduction, septoplasty, rhinoseptoplasy, or rhinoplasty) or throat (tonsillectomy or uvulopalatopharyngoplasty) surgery. ENT = ear, nose, and throat, HSAT = home sleep apnea test, ODI = oxygen desaturation index (3%), RDI = respiratory disturbance index (apneas + hypopneas + respiratory event related arousals/total recording time), REI = respiratory events index (apneas + hypopneas/total recording time), T90 = percentage of total recording time (TRT) spent with a saturation < 90%.