Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
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Review Meta Analysis
Effect of oral appliances on blood pressure in obstructive sleep apnea: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for the development of hypertension. However the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on lowering systemic blood pressure (BP) in OSA patients has been conflicting. Oral appliance (OA) therapy is an important alternative therapy to CPAP for patients with mild to moderate OSA. ⋯ The pooled estimate shows a favorable effect of OAs on SBP, MAP, and DBP. Most of the studies were observational. Therefore, more RCTs are warranted involving a larger number of patients and longer treatment periods to confirm the effects of OA on BP.