Effect of exercise versus mandibular advancement device in moderate obstructive sleep apnea patients with mandibular retrognathia: A randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise and mandibular advancement device (MAD) on severity of Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) with mandibular retrognathia.

METHODS

Patients were randomly allocated into either exercise group or MAD group. All patients underwent blood tests, polysomnography studies and questionnaires studies at enrollment and at the 12-week's follow-up.

RESULTS

Our study showed MAD was superior to exercise in improving polysomnographic outcomes and Snore Scale (SS) score. No significant difference was observed between the two treatments in terms of Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score. Moreover, in the exercise group, improvements were also observed in total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

CONCLUSION

MAD was more effective than exercise in improving sleep efficiency. Exercise can improve daytime sleepiness and lipid metabolism, independent of the effects on BMI.Trial registration ChiCTR2000034188.