Evidence synthesis · §4
Weight-reducing agents for obstructive sleep apnoea — summary of findings
Outcome-by-outcome summary with effect, certainty and the reason for each downgrade.
§4Summary of findings
§4.1Summary of findings
Table 7. Summary of findings for Weight-reducing agents for obstructive sleep apnoea.
| Outcome | Participants (studies) | Effect as reported | Certainty | Reason for downgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change in apnoea–hypopnoea index (events/hour)The outcome the Institute designates as anchor for this indication. | 359 (3) | Moderate certainty evidence indicates a clinically meaningful reduction in the apnoea–hypopnoea index | Moderate | publication bias |
| Discontinuation for adverse eventsReported as a summary-of-findings row rather than in a tolerability annex, following a public submission. | 355 (3) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Moderate | publication bias |
| Serious adverse eventsEvent counts are low; the estimate is imprecise by construction. | 345 (2) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Low | inconsistency, publication bias |
| Any adverse eventAscertained by spontaneous report in the contributing trials. | 323 (1) | Reported per contributing trial; see the included-studies table | Low | risk of bias, indirectness |
| Proportion achieving disease remission or mild diseaseA secondary outcome for this indication. Its hierarchical position within each contributing trial is recorded on that trial's abstract where the Institute holds it. | 314 (2) | Reported as a secondary outcome in a subset of contributing trials | Low | inconsistency, imprecision |
| Change in Epworth Sleepiness ScaleA secondary outcome for this indication. Its hierarchical position within each contributing trial is recorded on that trial's abstract where the Institute holds it. | 310 (2) | Reported as a secondary outcome in a subset of contributing trials | Low | imprecision, publication bias |
| Certainty ratings describe confidence in the effect estimate for the stated outcome. They are not recommendations and do not transfer between outcomes. | ||||
§4.2Forest plot
Study estimatePooled estimate
§4.3Certainty assessment for the anchor outcome
Table 8. Reasoning recorded against each certainty domain for the anchor outcome.
| Domain | Rating | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Risk of bias | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Inconsistency | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Indirectness | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Imprecision | No concern | No serious concern identified in this domain. |
| Publication bias | Serious | Too few contributing studies for a formal assessment; the risk cannot be excluded. |
| Overall: Moderate certainty. The true effect is likely to be close to the estimate, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. Further research is likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate. | ||
Compound Evidence Institute · CEI-ES-011/4 · https://compoundevidence.com/syntheses/sleep-apnoea-weight-agents/summary-of-findings/ · retrieved 30 July 2026