Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Diet As A Risk Factor In Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Caitlin Bove, Vivek Jain, Naji Younes, Marijane Hynes

GW Research Days 2016 - 2020

Rationale: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common disease affecting approximately 2% of women and 4% of men. It is independently associated with cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. Established risk factors for OSA include obesity, male gender, post-menopausal state, smoking and increased neck circumference. Sleep deprivation, a common occurrence in OSA, is associated with weight gain and cravings for carbohydrates. Preference for fatty foods has been documented in sleep deprivation. Studies using mouse models have suggested that high fats diets increase the severity of sleep apnea independent of BMI (body mass index). We hypothesized that dietary habits, especially increased …