An interdisciplinary weight loss and lifestyle intervention was associated with clinically meaningful and sustainable improvements in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and HRQOL, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Almudena Carneiro-Barrera, PhD, and colleagues randomly assigned 89 men (aged 18-65) with moderate-to-severe OSA and BMI of at least 25 kg/m² who were receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy to an 8-week interdisciplinary weight loss and lifestyle intervention plus usual care or usual care alone. The intervention group had a greater decrease in the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; 51% reduction; -21.2 events/hour) than the control group (change, 2.5 events/hour). The reduction in AHI at 6 months post-intervention was 57% in the intervention group, with a mean between-group difference of -23.8 events/ hour. At the endpoint, 18 of 40 participants in the intervention group no longer required CPAP therapy and six achieved complete OSA remission, while at 6 months, 21 of 34 participants no longer required CPAP therapy and 10 achieved complete remission.
