Progression and Regression of Sleep-Disordered Breathing With Changes in Weight

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Abstract
Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is strongly associated with level of obesity.1 Weight gain is linked to development of sleep apnea in small series or case reports.2,3 One large study of the natural history of SDB in a large cohort of middle-aged men and women noted a 6-fold increase in the odds of developing moderate to severe SDB with a 10% weight gain throughout 4 years.4 In the Cleveland Family Study, the effect of weight gain was strongest in older men.5 These studies support the idea that the prevention of weight gain could be effective in the prevention of SDB.