Weight loss 'may cure sleep problems'

Almost a quarter of men suffer from a condition known as sleep apnea, which severely affects a person's sleep quality, but new research may offer hope to those individuals.

According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, weight loss may prove an effective remedy for the millions of men and none per cent of women whose lives are disrupted by the problem.

Kari Johansson, one of the researchers involved in the study from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, said that the findings may put an end to the sleepless night experienced by sufferers.

There are three main types of sleep apnea – obstructive, central and mixed, with the first being the most common and all three worsening over time.

Ms Johansson told medical insurance customers that moderate and severe sleep apnea also increases the risk of premature death, and it has long been known that people who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop the disease.

"Our findings suggest that weight loss may be an effective treatment strategy for sleep apnea in obese men," she explained.

The study conducted at the facility included 63 obese men who had moderate to severe sleep apnea had symptom alleviation treatment through continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) which produces more normal breathing patterns during sleep.

They were then randomly assigned into two groups, one of which underwent an intense weight-loss programme and the other served as a control group for nine weeks.

According to the results, the group which was put on a very low calorie diet (VLCD) lost 19 kg on average after nine weeks and more than halved the number of apnea events, with the effect of the weight-loss programme greatest in patients with severe sleep apnea.

Ms Johansson told those with affordable health insurance: "We often use VLCD in the form of a low-calorie powder as part of the treatment of obese patients with sleep apnea. The powder is mixed with water and replaces every meal of the day, which gives a rapid loss of weight. It's also a good way of boosting the patients' motivation."

Posted by Stephen Tate

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