Bariatric Surgery and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) Study

A recent study published in the International Journal of Obesity finds that bariatric surgery in patients with obesity grade 1 to 2 is effective in reducing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity and is associated with substantial, sustained weight loss.

Evidence of the effect of bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnea is based on observational studies and/or short-term follow-up in patients with obesity grade 3. Luciano F. Drager, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil, and colleagues aimed to compare the effects of roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or usual care (UC) on OSA severity in patients with obesity grade 1–2 in a randomized study.

Mild, moderate, and severe OSA was defined by the apnea-hypopnoea index (AHI): 5–14.9; 15–29.9, and ≥30 events/h, respectively. OSA remission was defined by converting any form of OSA into normal AHI (<5 events/h).

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Key Findings of the Study

• After 3-year follow-up, the body-mass index increased in the UC group while decreased in the RYGB group: +1.7 (−1.9; 2.7) versus −10.6 (−12.7; −9.2) kg/m², respectively.
• The AHI increased by 5 (−4.2; 12.7) in the UC group while reduced in the RYGB group to −13.2 (−22.7; −7) events/h.
• UC significantly increased the frequency of moderate OSA (from 15.4% to 46.2%).
• RYGB had a huge impact on reaching no OSA status (from 4.2% to 70.8%) in parallel to a decrease of moderate (from 41.7% to 8.3%) and severe OSA (from 20.8% to 0%).

"RYGB is an attractive strategy for mid-term OSA remission or decrease moderate-to-severe forms of OSA in patients with obesity grade 1–2," wrote the authors.

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Reference

The study titled, "Three-year effects of bariatric surgery on obstructive sleep apnea in patients with obesity grade 1 and 2: a sub-analysis of the GATEWAY trial," is published in the International Journal of Obesity.

DOI: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41366-021-00752-2