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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study finds many people with severe obstructive sleep apnea have an unhealthy diet. Researchers say this may be contributing to more cardiovascular problems in these patients.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disordered breathing condition in which the person has repetitive episodes of complete or partial airway obstruction during sleep. Its estimated 18 million Americans suffer from obstructive sleep apnea.
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Researchers from Harvard Medical School conducted the study. They included 320 participants who underwent sleep testing and had their dietary habits analyzed. We found that persons who had severe obstructive sleep apnea ate a diet that was unhealthy with increased intake of cholesterol, fat and saturated fatty acids, Stuart Quan, MD, division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, was quoted as saying. This was most evident in women.
Study authors say those with the most severe sleep apnea also had a greater consumption of cholesterol, protein and trans-fatty acids. Researchers say while it is well known that obese people tend to consume diets high in fat and cholesterol, these results suggest severe sleep apnea has an independent effect on dietary intake. They suggest sleep apnea may impact levels of an appetite-regulating hormone and increase a persons desire for fatty foods.
SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Sleep, 2008;October 15, 2008
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