Researchers have been studying the interrelations of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea), weight loss and Type 2 diabetes for years. Recently there have been new developments with the Sleep AHEAD study, a supplementary study of Look Ahead (Action for Health in Diabetes), identified in this article. Study inclusion criteria were patients between the ages of 45 – 47, who have a BMI greater than 25 and have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. While it has been proven that weight loss reduces the severity of OSA, investigators in this study looked to establish whether or not the patient would maintain the initial benefit of intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss on OSA severity for 10 years. Participants of the study either had intensive lifestyle intervention for weight loss or diabetes support and education (DSE). After the 10-year mark, PSG’s were obtained in approximately half of the participants. Overall, the AHI was lower and the weight losses were higher in the intensive lifestyle intervention group compared with DSE group. Additionally, OSA remission occurred in more participants in the intensive lifestyle intervention compared with participants in DSE group (34.4% vs 22.2%, respectively) at 10 years. The investigators concluded that overall OSA severity decreased across the 10-year study period with intensive lifestyle intervention.
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