Can weight loss cure sleep apnea?

[JohnMudie]

I am losing weight going from 183 lbs hopefully down to 150 lbs ( I am 78 with a height of 5' 9" )

What are the chances of "curing" my sleep apnea ?

How can I find out if the weight loss is having an effect (I have an APAP with recording capability ?

Thanks
John

[zoocrewphoto]

I am losing weight going from 183 lbs hopefully down to 150 lbs ( I am 78 with a height of 5' 9" )

What are the chances of "curing" my sleep apnea ?

How can I find out if the weight loss is having an effect (I have an APAP with recording capability ?

Thanks
John

There are different causes for sleep apnea, so the odds will depend on what cause you have? For some people, the sleep apnea caused the weight, so losing the weight won't help. But some people can be "cured" as long as they keep the weight off.

The only way to know is to have another sleep study done.

[Julie]

Download SleepyHead software (free) and see what's going on overnight... what your AHI is, your leak rates, pressure spikes, flow rates, etc. etc. It's somewhat possible that weight loss (generally a LOT) can lower pressure needs, but chances of completely curing OSA are unlikely - happens rarely and often only in cases of e.g. bariatric surgery where really major losses happen.

[Mudrock63]

I am pretty much at my ideal weight and have severe sleep apnea. Sometimes it is just the architecture of your throat, not how much weight you are carrying around. In any case, good luck with losing weight AND hopefully being cured.

[49er]

Download SleepyHead software (free) and see what's going on overnight... what your AHI is, your leak rates, pressure spikes, flow rates, etc. etc. It's somewhat possible that weight loss (generally a LOT) can lower pressure needs, but chances of completely curing OSA are unlikely - happens rarely and often only in cases of e.g. bariatric surgery where really major losses happen.

I don't think anyone has the monopoly on the truth as to whether weight loss cures sleep apnea or not. There aren't solid studies that support either point of view.

Zoo crew's advice is best which is to have a sleep study and find out. The only additional point I would make is losing excess weight is always a good thing whether it cures sleep apnea or doesn't.

49er

[Sheriff Buford]

It could go either way, but I'd lean toward no.

Sheriff

[chunkyfrog]

So many other benefits to shedding excess weight.
Do it anyway.
If cpap is too unpleasant, you may want to consider a different mask.
The wrong mask should not happen to anyone.
Getting the right one is well worth the effort.

[WindCpap]

Don't lose weight just to cure your sleep apnea. If you do, and it is not cured, the disappointment could cause you to rebound. Like CF said, there are so many benefits to losing weight. Getting off your CPAP is a really minor one.

The only way to check if you have sleep apnea any more is to do another sleep study. Your machine won't work without supplying some pressure.

Also, you are not obese, so the chance of excess fat around your neck being the cause of the sleep apnea is pretty low.

[Lucyhere]

Had a sleep study and was diagnosed with SSA. Lost 25 lbs and now at a normal weight for my height. Several years later had another sleep study -- diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. Losing weight can help... but I doubt it will cure sleep apnea. As others have said, getting down to a normal weight for your height helps many other issues.

[SewTired]

John, the chances of curing it when you are over 50 years old is low. Weight loss (30 pounds) actually increased my apnea sufficient to qualify for a machine! Skin, muscles, etc, just don't bounce back like they do in your 30s. You could try a didgeridoo, but my understanding is that you have to be motivated to do it every day, several times a day for like a year. My Dad stopped having apnea after his heart attack at 65. He never snored again, but he was on oxygen about 10 years later due to insufficient oxygen from damaged heart. Now, in his case, the heart attack was largely unpreventable due to family history, but it's clear that it can prevent some heart issues for those that don't have just high clotting factors.

[Wulfman...]

I am losing weight going from 183 lbs hopefully down to 150 lbs ( I am 78 with a height of 5' 9" )

What are the chances of "curing" my sleep apnea ?

How can I find out if the weight loss is having an effect (I have an APAP with recording capability ?

Thanks
John

Hi John.

Nobody can say for sure. Sleep Apnea can CAUSE weight gain and losing the weight doesn't necessarily get rid of the SA.
On the other hand, a number of people have reported needing HIGHER pressure after they lost weight.

But, as was said, if you're not using software to monitor your therapy, download the Sleepyhead software (it's free).


Den

.

[ChicagoGranny]

I am losing weight going from 183 lbs hopefully down to 150 lbs ( I am 78 with a height of 5' 9" )

What are the chances of "curing" my sleep apnea ?

How can I find out if the weight loss is having an effect (I have an APAP with recording capability ?

Thanks
John

John, What are you doing to lose weight?

What are your pressure settings and pressure relief settings?

[sleeplessinaz]

Over the past year I lost 60 pounds and I still have sleep apnea and need my cpap every night. Sorry it's not the answer you were looking for,

[archangle]

I don't think there is a lot of good data on what percent of people will get an apnea cure from weight loss. My SWAG guess is less than 50%. Probably a lot less.

I also know the success rate for long term weight loss are pretty low, like 10%.

However, if you need to lose weight anyway, do it and hope for the best. Just don't leave your apnea untreated while trying to lose weight and hoping for a cure.

You can tell a bit whether weight loss is working with a data capable CPAP. See if your AHI goes down. If it's an auto CPAP, you can see if your pressure goes down as well. You can lower your pressure and see if your AHI stays down and you still feel OK. Unfortunately, you can't tell whether you're "cured" because, even if you have good AHI at the minimum pressure of 4 cmH2O, you might still have apnea without CPAP.