[News] Weight-Loss Surgery Ineffective Against Obstructive Sleep Apnea

[ApneaNews]

Weight-Loss Surgery Ineffective Against Obstructive Sleep Apnea

A recent study shows that even though the effectiveness of bariatric surgery (also known as weight-loss surgery) has been shown, the effect of the procedure on OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea) is negligible. A research team from the Alfred Hospital, the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and the Alfred Hospital, in Australia, compared the effect of surgical intervention and medically supervised weight loss programs on OSA. The paper, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, shows the results of the worlds first high-quality randomized trial conducted on severely obese individuals.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea is an illness that affects almost 5% of the population of Australia. The main event of this disorder consists in several abnormal breathing pauses that occur during a sleep cycle. These pauses can last from a few seconds to a few minutes and can be diagnosed through the use of a method called polysomnography. One of the causes of OSA is the obstruction of the upper airways caused by the accumulation of body fat around the neck level.

The leading authors of the study are associate professor John Dixon, from the Monash University and professor and sleep specialist Matthew Naughton from the Monash and Alfred Hospital. The selection criteria for the trialled subjects were an earlier diagnose of moderate or sever Obstructive Sleep Apnea and a BMI (Body Mass Index) ranging between 35 and 55. These patients were divided into two groups, each following either the surgical or the conventional weight loss method, and were followed for two years, on a monthly basis.

Results showed that the group of patients who underwent LAGB (Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding) managed to lose almost 20% of their initial weight, on average. The group of patients who participated in a conventional weight loss program only lost 3% of their initial weight. Dixon said that this impressive difference in weight loss does not have an effect of OSA. Improvements in OSA were monitored through the use of polysomnography.

“Both groups experienced a reduction in OSA severity, but the difference between the surgical group and the conventional group was surprisingly small”, said professor Dixon. He added that most of the patients from both groups still required a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine.

The research team concluded that even though weight loss is directly associated with the reduction of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, the effects vary from one individual to another. According to the research team, the best improvement shown in OSA was associated with a light weight loss, instead of an excessive weight loss.

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[renatae]

Very interesting, and certainly not what I would have expected! Although I'm not a great proponent of bariatric surgery, I would have thought a greater weight loss, regardless of the method, would have resulted in greater improvement of OSA.

[PaulaO2]

I think it comes down to where you lose the weight. Girth is one thing, neck circumference is totally different. A loss in that will help OSA the most. In my opinion.

[Sleepster]

There's a correlation between OSA and obesity, but this study seems to suggest that perhaps OSA is the cause of obesity, wheras most people assume a reversal of that causality and think that obesity causes OSA.

There are perfectly valid reasons to support both arguments. A lack of sleep causes food cravings because sleep-deprived people are in need of the energy we get from food. And a build up of fatty tissue around the airway causes or makes worse OSA. This of course results in a vicious cycle.

[cbramsey]

I lost over 100 lbs thanks to bariatric surgery. There were others who had similar surgery whose OSA was put into remission once they lost down to their goal weight.

I was not one of those people. My CPAP pressure was decreased to that is a good thing.

[zephyr]

The Diet approach works if you can follow it, for life. Its a control not a cure. the reason why we have a huge diet industry and lot of overweight people is because many of these people are unable to follow such a regiment.

Surgery can help some of these people.

I know some who payed several thousand dollars and did the Dr. Bernstein Diet. She lost weight while in program but gained it all back after. She subsequently had Bariatric surgery and was then able to loose weight and not gain it back.

[Sleepster]

The Diet approach works if you can follow it, for life. Its a control not a cure.

There are many people who's sleep apnea is not controlled by weight loss.

Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that perhaps sleep apnea is one of the causes of obesity.

[PaulaO2]

I snored just as loud when I was young and skinny as I do now older and fatter.

Losing weight won't make my sleep apnea go away.

Diet fads don't work because they are too much with too high expectations. I laugh when I see them advertised "our diet plan, along with daily exercise and sensible meals, will help you lose weight." I could say that about anything "holding this twig, along with daily exercise and sensible meals, will help you lose weight."

[Sleepster]

I could say that about anything "holding this twig, along with daily exercise and sensible meals, will help you lose weight."

But a CPAP machine is something that can help.

Along with daily exercise and sensible meals.

[SuperSleeper]

This is probably just stating the obvious, but getting to one's optimum body weight is just plain good sense and will help with a plethora of health issues. Will weight loss always lead to lower AHI levels? No, but sometimes and for some people, it does.

In any case, dropping unneeded pounds is a worthy goal regardless of it's affects upon OSA. Sure isn't going to hurt you, that's for sure.