Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obesity, usually assessed through the body mass index (BMI), is a recognized cause of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).  Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is currently a clinically defined syndrome associating excessive tiredness (somnolence) and one or two of the following symptoms: severe snoring, nocturnal respiratory arrest, repeated nocturnal awakening, non-recuperative sleep, diurnal fatigue, and altered concentration.  Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS)  is characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway collapse and obstruction during sleep.

In obese patients, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is attributed to a reduction in throat-size because of fat deposition around the throat. The effect of weight loss on the size of the upper airways of obese subjects is implied however not absolute. The reason for this is that up to 30% of patients with significant clinical sleep apnea entitled to CPAP treatment have a BMI lower than 30 kg/m2, the usual limit between overweight and obesity. This points out that there are other factors that cause obstructive sleep apnea other than fat deposits around the throat.

It remains nevertheless true that BMI and sleep apnea severity show a dose-response relationship; the prevalence of OSA among the severely obese has been reported to range from 50% to 90%, leading to the assumption that effective treatment of obesity could cure OSA. Studies have shown that a weight reduction of about 15% of baseline body weight may substantially increase the pharyngeal cross-sectional area and substantially improve the severity of OSAS in morbidly obese subjects with sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder with symptoms of loud snoring and long pauses in breathing. Often the person with obstructive sleep apnea is unaware of their condition until they’re told by a family member or friend.

Obstructive sleep apnea is linked to several serious conditions and experiences.

Needless to say, the decrease in general health risks in these patients as a result of bariatric surgery is obvious. The safest recommendation however would be that patients who undergo bariatric surgery should perhaps be advised to continue CPAP therapy until a new evaluation is performed at follow-up before deciding to stop treatment.