Lifestyle and dietary interventions promoting weight loss improve obstructive sleep apnea parameters but are insufficient to normalize them, according to a literature review and meta-analysis in the October issue of the journal SLEEP. The review analyzed 21 studies representing 893 patients with OSA. Overall, few studies demonstrated normalization of AHI with weight loss interventions. Results also suggest that interventions employing physical activity alone were unsuccessful in reducing AHI. A combination of diet and physical activity, however, resulted in significant AHI reductions that could be clinically relevant in some patients by reducing sleep apnea severity.
