A new study shows that losing weight could be the single most effective way to reduce obstructive sleep apnea symptoms.
Many treatments for obstructive sleep apnea come with problems -- surgery doesn't last, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines are only as effective as the patient's willingness to use them, and most other devices are ineffective, expensive, unwieldy and have poor patient compliance.
However, a low calorie diet combined with active lifestyle counseling resulting in marked weight reduction is a feasible and effective treatment obstructive sleep apnea. In a trial of 81 patients with mild obstructive sleep apnea, the 40 patients who underwent a limited-calorie diet combined with lifestyle counseling lost more than 20 pounds, on average, in a year -- which in turn resulted in markedly lower symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.