Will Sleep Apnea Go Away If I Lose Weight

The connection between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)and weight is well established. In fact, being overweight or obese is considered one of the primary risk factors of sleep apnea. This is because when extra tissue accumulates around the upper airway, it can change the shape of the airway or the weight can make the throat more likely to collapse during sleep.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that studies consistently show that weight lossreduces the severity of sleep apnea. Not only does itreduce the number of apneas that occur, but it also improves the quality of patients’ sleep.

Monitored the sleep quality of 72 overweight patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The patients changed to a low-calorie diet and received lifestyle counseling, which resulted in a significant decrease in their BMIs. After losing weight, the subjects’ mean number of apnea events per hour (their apnea-hypopnea index, or AHI, learn more about what that means here) decreased significantly.Post weight-loss, the number of patients with sleep apneadecreased by 75%.

Lose Weight Before Trying Other Sleep Apnea Treatments

Obstructive sleep apnea. After losing on average 20+ pounds, the subjects’ AHIs decreased by about 25 events per hour! Plus, their sleep patterns improved, as the patients spent more time in deeper, more restorative sleep stages. However, the patients’ AHI was still around 30 episodes per hour–which meets the criteria for moderate to severe sleep apnea (learn more about understanding sleep study results here).

It’s important to remember that extra weight is not the only cause of sleep apnea. A small jaw, a large neck, large tonsils and adenoids, genetic predisposition, and other factors could be contributing to this sleep disorder. In all likelihood, a case of severe sleep apnea is caused by a combination of these factors–so weight loss alone may notcompletely eliminate the problem. CPAP therapy is the gold-standard therapy for sleep apnea (learn more about CPAP here) and is the only treatment that is 100% effective when used properly every night (learn about alternatives to CPAP here).

While weight loss might not completely cure sleep apnea in every case, it definitely has a beneficial effect. If you have significantly altered your lifestyle or lost weight, it may be time to reevaluate your sleep apnea treatment. You could require a lower PAP pressure to keep your airway open, or you might not need treatment any more at all. Conversely, if you have recently gained weight, you may have higher pressure requirements. Typically, a titration study will be ordered to assess your pressure requirements (learn more about different study types here). You may also benefit from using an autoset CPAP device which adjusts its pressure based on your requirements throughout the night (learn about the difference between CPAP and APAP here).

How To Beat Sleep Apnea? Cut It Out (surgically)

If you have a question about your CPAP therapyor think you might need a new pressure, contact us to make sure your treatment is as effectiveand comfortable as possible.

1) “Who is at risk for sleep apnea?” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. 2) Tuomilehto, Henri P. I. et al. “Lifestyle Intervention with Weight Reduction: First-line Treatment in Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea.” American Thoracic Society Journals. 3) Philip L. Smith, M.D. et al. “Weight Loss in Mildly to Moderately Obese Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.”Annals of Internal Medicine. 4) David L. Greenburg, MD, MPH et al. “Effects of Surgical Weight Loss on Measures of Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Meta-Analysis.”The American Journal of Medicine.

Julia joined Advanced Sleep Medicine Services, Inc. in 2011 with a background in sales, marketing and customer service. She is currently the vice president of marketing and operations and enjoys the opportunity to educate and interact with those looking to improve their health through better sleep.

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