Dose-response relationship between weight loss and improvements in obstructive sleep apnea severity after a...

Lifestyle-induced weight loss is a complementary therapeutic approach for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We aimed at identifying the dose-response relationship between weight loss and OSA severity improvement.

This is a secondary analysis of a 6-month clinical trial in 180 adult, overweight/obese moderate-to-severe OSA patients. Participants were randomized to a standard care, a Mediterranean diet, or a Mediterranean lifestyle arm. All patients were prescribed with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), while intervention arms additionally participated in a weight-loss dietary/lifestyle intervention. Based on percent change in weight at 6 months, participants were categorized into a weight-stable/gain (WS/GG) group or 3 weight-loss groups (WLG): < 5%WLG, 5%-10%WLG, and ≥ 10%WLG. Polysomnographic data and OSA symptoms were evaluated preintervention and postintervention.

Respiratory events and oximetry indices improved only in patients who lost weight and improvements were proportional to the degree of weight loss. Median percent change in apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was -11.7%, - 37.9%, and - 49.3% in the < 5%WLG, 5%-10%WLG, and ≥ 10%WLG, respectively (P < .001). Compared to the WS/GG, the age-, sex-, baseline-, and CPAP use-adjusted relative risk (95% confidence interval) of severe OSA (AHI ≥ 30 events/h) was 0.45 (0.23-0.87) in the 5%-10%WLG and 0.32 (0.17-0.64) in the ≥ 10%WLG; the risk was also lower in the ≥ 10%WLG vs the < 5%WLG (0.42 [0.22-0.82]). Insomnia and daytime sleepiness also improved more in participants exhibiting ≥ 5% weight loss.

Even a < 5% weight loss can reduce respiratory events, but a ≥ 5% and ideally ≥ 10% weight loss is necessary for reducing the prevalence of severe OSA.

Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov; Name: Mediterranean Diet/Lifestyle Intervention in Obstructive Sleep Apnea; URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02515357; Identifier: NCT02515357.

Georgoulis M, Yiannakouris N, Kechribari I, et al. Dose-response relationship between weight loss and improvements in obstructive sleep apnea severity after a diet/lifestyle intervention: secondary analyses of the "MIMOSA" randomized clinical trial. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(5):1251-1261.