Exercise and Diet Can Help Sleep Apnea From Worsening

Sleep apnea — a condition that causes shallow or obstructive breathing patterns — is an unpleasant disorder that often goes hand in hand with diabetes and cardiovascular-related problems. But new research suggests that getting adequate exercise while also cleaning up your diet could keep sleep apnea from getting worse.

At the Oivauni Sleep Clinic in Kuopio, Finland, Dr. Henri Tuomilehto and his colleagues found that obese individuals who went through a one-year diet and lifestyle intervention program were half as likely to have sleep apnea worsen and progress to more severe disease than people who did not participate in the program.

"Once you get some symptoms - even not that dramatic symptoms - then you should take the symptoms seriously because in the early phases of the disease if you change your lifestyle habits, you can cure the disease and prevent the progression of the disease," Tuomilehto said.


Researchers randomly assigned 81 obese adults with mild sleep apnea to one of two programs: an intervention program that included a low-calorie meal plan with diet and exercise counseling or a program that included just a few general diets and exercise information sessions.

Four years later, researchers followed up with 57 participants, finding that people in the intervention group had more success keeping weight off. On average, they were 12 pounds lighter than they were five years earlier. Participants in the other group, however, were about one pound heavier.

No participants in the intervention group saw their sleep apnea worsen to severe disease, and only six saw it develop to moderate disease. Twelve participants in the other group, however, had their sleep apnea worsen to moderate or severe status.


"If you've lost some weight, four years later, even if you've regained some, there's still some significant benefit in terms of your apnea," Gary Foster, head of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia, said in an article on Fox News.

Source: JAMA Internal Medicine
Photo: Pixabay


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...