Relationship between body fat distribution and upper airway dynamic function during sleep in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Sleep Medicine
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is linked to visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in adults.
• Limited research exists on VAT's role in adolescent upper airway function.
• This study investigates the relationship between neck circumference (NC), VAT, and upper airway collapsibility in adolescents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if increased neck circumference (NC) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) are associated with increased upper airway collapsibility in adolescents.
• To explore the role of upper airway muscle activation in obese adolescents with and without OSAS.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 24 obese patients with OSAS, 22 obese controls, and 29 lean controls.
• Utilized abdominal MRI for VAT measurement.
• Measured upper airway pressure-flow relationships in activated and hypotonic states.

Main Results:

• Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients showed greater activated upper airway collapsibility than controls.
• Hypotonic upper airway collapsibility was higher in both obese groups compared to lean controls.
• Increased neck circumference correlated with increased hypotonic collapsibility in all groups, but not consistently with activated collapsibility.

Conclusions:

• Increased neck circumference is associated with upper airway collapsibility in adolescents in the hypotonic state.
• Obese adolescents without OSAS may be protected by upper airway neuromotor activation.
• Neither neck circumference nor VAT reliably predicts upper airway collapsibility in obese adolescents.