| Characteristic | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 |
| Subjects n | 32 | 35 | 58 |
| Age yrs | 56±12 | 43±16* | 60±13 |
| Males/females n | 21/11 | 19/16 | 43/15 |
| BMI kg·m−2 | 31.0±7.5 | 30.5±9.9 | 33.1±7.9 |
| ESS# | 10.0±5.6 | 4.4±3.1*** | 8.7±5.4 |
| SiNQ-5¶ | 6.8±2.3 | 1.0±2.0*** | 2.5±2.3*** |
Data are presented as mean±sd unless otherwise stated. Healthy subjects (group 2) were slightly younger than neuromuscular (group 1) and obstructive sleep apnoea patients (group 3), but matched for body mass index (BMI). There was no difference in the Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Neuromuscular Disease (SiNQ)-5 score between group 1 and group 3. ESS: Epworth Sleepiness scale. #: out of 24; ¶: out of 10. *: p<0.05; ***: p<0.001.