Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea – Clinical significance of weight loss

Oct 20, 2012Sleep medicine reviews

The importance of weight loss for obesity and sleep apnea

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Abstract

At least 70% of obstructive sleep apnea patients are obese.

Obesity is a significant risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), contributing to increased morbidity and mortality.
Patients with OSA often exhibit metabolic syndrome, indicating a complex relationship between these conditions.
Weight reduction and increased physical activity are critical for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome in obese individuals.
Recent controlled trials suggest that a combination of weight loss, a healthy diet, and physical activity may improve OSA symptoms.
Despite promising results, weight reduction as a treatment for OSA is not widely recognized by many clinicians.
Further large, well-controlled trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and long-term success of various weight reduction programs in OSA patients.

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Obesity is a major health burden that contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. Obesity is also the most important risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); at least 70% of patients are obese. OSA as such, has been linked with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and OSA patients often display metabolic syndrome. The exact underlying mechanisms behind these associations are complex and not fully understood. In obese individuals, weight reduction and increased physical activity form cornerstones for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, and recent controlled intervention trials strongly suggest that weight reduction together with a healthy diet and increased physical activity may correct or at least improve the symptoms of OSA. However, regardless of promising results in terms of symptoms of OSA and the undoubted metabolic benefits of changing lifestyles, weight reduction as a treatment of OSA is still underrated by many clinicians. Based on the current knowledge, clinicians should revise their previous attitudes, including suspicions about weight reduction as an effective treatment for OSA patients. Nevertheless, we also need large well-controlled trials on the effects of different weight reduction programs among OSA patients to determine the overall efficacy of different treatment modalities and their long-term success.

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Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea – Clinical significance of weight loss

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