02 Dec Both CPAP and Mandibular Advancement Devices Improve Blood Pressure in Sleep Apnea

Dr. Kohler

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Prof. Malcolm Kohler, MD
Chair Respiratory Medicine
Clinical Director Department of Pulmonology
University Hospital of Zurich
Zurich Switzerland

Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Kohler: CPAP and Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs) have been shown to reduce symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea (eg sleepiness, see Bratton et al. Lancet Respir Med 2015). Whether this is also true for both treatments re blood pressure was not answerable from individual studies. Our metanalysis shows that both treatments have similar positive effects on blood pressure, the treatment effect of CPAP seems to be larger in patients with higher number of hours of nightly usage of CPAP.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Kohler: Both treatments are effective not only in reducing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea but also in reducing blood pressure. Mandibular Advancement Devices are to be considered as an alternative treatment to the more widely used CPAP, especially in patients who fail to adapt to CPAP treatment.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Kohler: The effects of other OSA treatment approaches (eg weight loss) on blood pressure and other clinically relevant outcomes should be evaluated in metanalyses.

Citation:

Dr. Malcolm Kohler (2015). Both CPAP and Mandibular Advancement Devices Improve Blood Pressure in Sleep Apnea 

Last Updated on December 2, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD