Weight reduction improves nocturnal respiration in obese sleep apnoea patients-A randomized controlled pilot study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Randomized controlled pilot study of the effect of weight reduction on nocturnal respiratory parameters in obese patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS). METHODS: Twenty consecutive obese male patients fulfilling OSAS criteria at Karolinska University Hospital were randomized into two groups. Intervention with an 8-week weight reduction programme consisting of a low-calorie diet, together with group meetings, was evaluated compared to expectancy alone for the control group, followed by a crossover. Follow-up at 3 months included anthropometrics and ambulant sleep apnoea recordings. RESULTS: Eleven of twenty men completed the protocol. There were significant differences between the intervention group (n = 6) and the control group (n = 5) in changes of weight (p < 0.01) and oxygen desaturation index (ODI4) (p < 0.05). We also found a significant positive correlation in these 11 males after the crossover between their reduction in weight and their reduction in ODI4 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study indicates that weight reduction improves nocturnal respiration in obese OSAS patients after 3 months' dietary treatment compared to expectancy.