A randomised controlled trial of the effect of substantial weight loss on obstructive sleep apnoea.

Funded Activity Summary

Obstructive sleep apnea is now commonly recognized as a major health problem and frequently ocurrs in overweight or obese individuals. Several studies have now demonstrated that weight loss can be an effective treatment for sleep apnea in those with a weight problem. But, it is extremely difficult to achieve and sustain the major weight loss required to adequately treat this condition. Modern obesity surgery is the only reliable method of achieving and sustaining major weight loss in very obese individuals, and several studies have found that along with weight loss there are major improvements in sleep symptoms, and sleep apnea following weight loss surgery. Despite these findings surgery is rarely advised and has never been formally tested as a therapy for sleep apnea. We propose to formally test, for the first time, the effectiveness of weight loss surgery, as an addition to best conventional therapy, in those individuals with the combination of problems; obesity and significant sleep apnea. We propose that significant weight loss, following surgery, may indeed be the best therapy for those with these combined problems, and that weight loss may have additional benefits for other common problems related to obesity, including high blood pressure, poor body image and impaired quality of life. Forty appropriate patients who suffer these combined problems will be randomly allocated to either conventional therapy for their sleep apnea and weight problems or to a similar program that includes placement of a Lap-Band, a minimially invasive form of obesity surgery. We will follow the patients for 2-years and serially measure a broad range of health and quality of life outcomes and compare the effects of each program. This study will help us assess the role of obesity surgery in this group of patients with major health problems.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2007

End Date: 01-01-2009

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $404,061.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Respiratory Diseases

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

Airway obstruction | Obesity | Quality of life | Sleep disordered breathing/Sleep apnoea | Sleep disordered breathing/sleep apnoea/Sleepiness | Surgical and non-surgical cohorts | Surgical outcomes research | Weight loss

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