Reported obstructive sleep apnea does not diminish the cardiometabolic health benefits from a comprehensive lifestyle...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) commonly coexists with the metabolic syndrome, a condition for which behavioral changes are often prescribed. Whether OSA diminishes the cardiometabolic health benefits from lifestyle interventions remains unclear. We evaluated 278 consecutive metabolic syndrome participants enrolled in a 12-week comprehensive lifestyle intervention program. The changes in blood pressure (BP), along with other metabolic health parameters, from baseline to follow-up were compared between those with and without OSA. Mean age was 52.4 ± 10.9 years and 37% were male. At enrollment, mean body mass index (BMI) was 38.2 ± 7.7 kg/m² . OSA was reported in 126 of 269 final participants (47%). At baseline, participants with reported OSA were more likely to be male, older, have a higher BMI, waist and neck size (all P < 0.05). At program completion, participants with (-5.8 ± 16.1/-3.0 ± 10.0 mm Hg) and without OSA (-4.7 ± 13.1/-3.3 ± 8.2 mm Hg) had significant reductions in systolic and diastolic BP as well as BMI, fasting glucose, and triglyceride levels. There were no significant differences in the absolute or percentage changes in BP or other metabolic parameters between groups. Our findings support that patients with the metabolic syndrome can derive substantial health benefits, including reductions in BP, by a lifestyle intervention program regardless of the presence of OSA.