Sleep Matters for Obesity

Sleep deprivation and metabolic disease has been studied extensively recently with reviews showing glucose tolerance decreasing in healthy young adults after just a night of sleep deprivation. It has also been shown that shorter sleep duration has an association with weight gain as revealed in the NIH-AARP study and in a recent systematic review and meta-analyses (one also linking long duration with weight gain). The data associating poor sleep with obesity and metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes, is concerning because it seems to be a significant problem in our society for a variety of reasons. Beyond just sleep hygiene and sleep duration, it was found in the Look Ahead trial that 86% of patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This obviously contributes very detrimentally to poor sleep and expansive metabolic complications including obesity. Treatment of OSA with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may not solely lead to weight loss, as pointed out in a recent meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials, but certainly improves health and well-being, likely improving the potential of successful obesity treatment. The good news is that weight loss does improve OSA, especially if mild or moderate. Marked improvement or resolution requires significant weight loss, but should definitely be a goal for patients with obesity and OSA with a strong indication for intensive obesity therapy. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Blogs/LifestyleMedicine/54815?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2015-11-21&eun=g721819d0r