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Related Experiment Videos

Pharyngeal fat in obstructive sleep apnea

K E Shelton1, H Woodson, S Gay

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Virginia Health Science Center, Charlottesville 22908.

The American Review of Respiratory Disease
|August 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary

Obesity contributes to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) by increasing pharyngeal adipose tissue. This fat deposit volume directly correlates with OSA severity, and weight loss reduces both fat and apnea events.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Science
  • Physiology
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common in obese individuals, but the specific mechanisms linking obesity to airway collapse remain unclear.
  • Understanding the anatomical changes associated with obesity is crucial for developing effective OSA treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between the volume of adipose tissue surrounding the pharyngeal airway and the severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in humans.
  • To determine if weight loss impacts pharyngeal adipose tissue volume and OSA severity.

Main Methods:

  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T1-weighted spin echo sequences was used to quantify adipose tissue volume adjacent to the upper airway in 30 subjects (9 without OSA, 21 with OSA).
  • Pharyngeal adipose tissue volume was calculated by measuring pixels within a defined anatomical region.

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  • Polysomnography was conducted to assess OSA severity, measured by the apnea-hypopnea index.

    • Main Results:

    • All subjects exhibited adipose tissue accumulation adjacent to the upper airway.
    • A significant positive correlation was found between pharyngeal adipose tissue volume and the apnea-hypopnea index (r = 0.59, p < 0.001).
    • Two subjects who underwent weight loss demonstrated a marked reduction in pharyngeal adipose tissue volume and experienced fewer apnea and hypopnea events.

    Conclusions:

    • Adipose tissue deposition adjacent to the pharyngeal airway is a characteristic feature in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
    • The volume of this pharyngeal adipose tissue is directly related to the presence and severity of OSA.
    • Weight loss can lead to a reduction in pharyngeal adipose tissue and may improve OSA symptoms.