Baseline characteristics of the 1239 patients overall and according to severity of sleep disordered breathing
| Entire cohort | AHI <30 events·h−1 | AHI ≥30 events·h−1 | |
| Patients | 1239 | 1111 (89.7) | 128 (10.3) |
| Age years | 67±9 | 66±9 | 68±8 |
| Female | 511 (41.2) | 482 (43.4) | 29 (22.7) |
| BMI kg·m−2 | 30.9±5.3 | 30.5±5.2 | 33.6±5.9 |
| Waist–hip ratio | 0.95±0.08 | 0.95±0.08 | 1.00±0.08 |
| Obesity | 622 (50.2) | 533 (48.0) | 89 (69.5) |
| HbA1c mmol·mol−1 | 51±11 | 51±12 | 50±9 |
| Former or current smokers | 701 (56.6) | 624 (56.2) | 77 (60.2) |
| High alcohol intake# | 353 (28.5) | 309 (27.8) | 44 (34.4) |
| Socioeconomic status¶ | 2 (1–2) | 2 (1–2) | 2 (2–2) |
| Physical inactivity+ | 699 (56.4) | 620 (55.8) | 79 (61.7) |
| Follow-up time years | 2.7 (2.2–4.5) | 2.8 (2.2–4.5) | 2.4 (2.1–4.5) |
| Excessive daytime sleepiness§ | 87 (7.1) | 77 (7.0) | 10 (7.8) |
| AHI events·h−1 | 10 (5–19) | 9 (4–15) | 44 (36–52) |
| ODI events·h−1 | 9 (5–19) | 8 (5–15) | 39 (33–49) |
| tsat90% | 10.4 (2.5–30.6) | 8.8 (2.1–28.4) | 23.5 (13.7–45.4) |
Data are presented as n, mean±sd, n (%) or median (interquartile range). AHI: apnoea–hypopnoea index; BMI: body mass index; ODI: oxygen-desaturation index; tsat90%: percentage of night-time spent with oxygen saturation <90%. #: ≥3 drinks per week; ¶: according to Robert Koch Institute (Germany) [37] subdivided into four groups ranging from 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest) and including educational level, professional qualification and income; +: light activity ≤2 times per week; §: Epworth Sleepiness Scale ≥11.