Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) both achieved similar reductions in blood pressure in individuals with obstructive sleep apnea, compared with inactive controls.
In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 studies involving 4,888 patients, researchers found that CPAP use was associated with a significant mean systolic blood pressure reduction of 2.5 mm Hg and mean diastolic reduction of 2 mm Hg, compared with inactive controls. Each 1-hour increase in mean CPAP use was associated with a significant additional 1.5 mm Hg systolic and 0.9 mm Hg diastolic blood pressure reduction.
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Similarly, MADs were associated with a significant 2.1 mm Hg reduction in systolic pressure and 1.9 mm Hg reduction in diastolic pressure, compared with inactive controls.
“This is partly in contrast to a previous meta-analysis, which did not find a beneficial association with MADs, perhaps due to including only two [randomized controlled trials] and thus having inadequate power to detect a difference,” wrote Daniel J. Bratton, Ph.D., of the department of pulmonology, University Hospital, Zurich, and coauthors (JAMA. 2015 Dec 1;314:2280-93).
Overall, the authors found no significant differences between CPAP and MADs in the associated changes in systolic or diastolic blood pressure, although they noted that CPAP showed the strongest association with systolic blood pressure reductions.
The Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Zurich supported the study. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.