Tongue weight loss could improve sleep
measure their airway sizes and soft
tissue, tongue fat, and abdominal fat
volumes before and after weight loss.
Cat got your tongue? Maybe not, but
Weight loss was obtained either by
according to a new study, fat inside
lifestyle changes or surgical methods.
your tongue may be to blame for sleep
Measuring a 10% weight loss in
apnea.
patients, results showed that weight
The study, which was published in
loss was associated with reductions
the American Journal of Respiratory
in tongue fat. Patient’s sleep apnea
and Critical Care Medicine, found that
scores improved by 31%, CNN re-
people can lose fat in their tongue as
ported. MRI images showed that the
they drop over all body weight.
less volume the individual’s tongue
Obesity, the study says, is the
had after weight loss, the more their
primary risk factor of sleep apnea.
symptoms improved. Live Science
Tongue fat is higher in people with
reported only tongue size showed
obesity who also repeatedly stop and
an association with relief from sleep
A recent study found that fat in
start breathing in their sleep.
apnea, not other measurements, like
your tongue could be to blame for
“The question then was if you
overall weight loss.
sleep apnea. (Dreamstime/TNS)
reduce the fat in your tongue, does
Still, Harvard Medical School re-
that improve your sleep apnea? And the answer from our ported that experts still stress weight loss is important in
paper is ‘yes,’ “ said the study’s lead author, Penn Medi-
treating sleep apnea. According to WebMD, excess weight
cine sleep specialist Dr. Richard Schwab, to CNN.
is the most common cause of the condition in adults. The
Researchers placed 67 people with obesity and sleep
American Sleep Apnea Association said an estimated 22
apnea in a sleep study. They underwent MRI imaging to
million Americans are affected by the disorder.
By Kiersten Willis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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