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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- People who suffer from sleep-related breathing disorders may burn more calories at rest as their condition becomes more severe.
Snoring, sleep apnea and other conditions involve obstruction of the airways during sleep. Obesity is a major risk factor for developing sleep-disordered breathing and an increase in body weight is linked to severity of such conditions. However, it is not known whether weight gain causes the problem or whether sleep-disordered breathing leads to metabolism changes that cause weight gain and in turn complicate treatment.
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Researchers analyzed the energy expenditure of 212 adults with breathing problems during sleep. The average amount of calories each person burned at rest was 1,763 per day. Those with more severe sleep apnea and breathing disruptions had a resting energy expenditure of 1,999 while those with less severe symptoms expended less energy; an average of 1,626 calories per day.
"This study advances our knowledge concerning sleep-disordered breathing and metabolic rates, but it does not define the connection between sleep-disordered breathing and body weight, study authors wrote. "Future research considering the effect of sleep-disordered breathing on body weight can include the effects on energy intake and expenditure," they added.
SOURCE: Archives of OtolaryngologyHead & Neck Surgery, 2008;134[12]:1270-1275
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