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Sleep problems have become common in people at present. There can be several reasons behind it, ranging from an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, and poor sleep habits. One sleep disorder that torments many individuals is sleep apnea.<br>
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Sleep problems have become common in people at present. There can be several reasons behind it, ranging from an unhealthy lifestyle, stress, and poor sleep habits. One sleep disorder that torments many individuals is sleep apnea. For those of you who are wondering what is sleep apnea, it is a health condition where people experience disrupted breathing while resting. Those who have OSA can have as many as thirty pauses in the process of inhaling and exhaling air in one night. But is sleep apnea related to weight gain? Is there a link between them? Come, let’s find out!
How excess weight is responsible for sleep apnea? Overweight people are at an increased risk of suffering from sleep apnea. The explanation behind this is fat deposits. In obese people, excessive weight leads to the deposition of fat around the neck area, referred to as pharyngeal fat. It can block your upper airway while you are asleep and relaxed. It also causes people who have sleep apnea to snore, as, in this situation, the air is literally being pushed through a restricted airway.
Besides, being overweight is again responsible for increased abdominal girth. It is so because excess fat can flatten your chest wall and decrease lung volume. The limited capacity of the lungs can lessen the airflow, making the upper airway likely to collapse as you sleep. According to a study, the risk of OSA is high in people who have a high body mass index calculated based on one’s height and weight. It suggests that as little as 10% weight gain increases the OSA risk by six-fold.
Can sleep apnea lead to weight gain? The link between sleep apnea and being overweight is bilateral. Just as being overweight increases your risk of sleep apnea, suffering from this condition makes you vulnerable to gaining weight. It is so because lack of sleep results in decreased leptin production (an appetite-suppressing hormone) and increased release of ghrelin (an appetite-related hormone. Because of this, patients suffering from sleep apnea experience increased cravings for calorie-dense food that can make them obese. Besides, sleeplessness has also been associated with overeating, obesity, and decreased fat loss.
Are OSA patients more likely to gain weight? According to the reports, OSA patients are more likely to gain weight than people who have the same body mass and health status but are not suffering from sleep apnea. It was proved in a study that showcased how people who had OSA acquired more weight, around 16 pounds, than people who had the same BMI but were not OSA patients.
What are the possible health effects of sleep apnea and weight gain? OSA patients who are also overweight should be more careful because both these conditions are associated with several health problems, including- • Stroke • Type 2 diabetes • Metabolic syndrome • Atrial fibrillation • Coronary heart disease • Type 2 diabetes • Heart failure Sleep apnea has a two-way relationship with obesity. While people who have the prior condition are at an increased risk of gaining weight, being obese also increases their chances of having obstructive sleep apnea.
