The Importance of Diet in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy - a Case Report.

Abstract

Introduction: The increase in the proportion of obese patients in both paediatric and elderly populations worldwide made obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) an important contributor to the range of comorbidities encountered in the current population. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the main treatment for OSAS and it has an effect in decreasing the severity of OSAS, with decreasing the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) and improving hypoxemia.

Results: and discussion: We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with newly diagnosed severe OSAS for which she was on CPAP therapy. After the patient followed a diet and had a significant weight loss, her symptomatology improved and overnight cardiorespiratory polygraphy showed a decrease in nocturnal respiratory events. This demonstrates the important role that weight loss plays in certain diseases - in this case, in a patient with OSAS.

Conclusions: Losing weight can have important benefits in many diseases. In OSAS, weight reduction is associated with significant improvement in symptoms and nocturnal respiratory events, including apnea and hypopnea.