People with obstructive sleep apnea have considerably larger tongues, new research on obese adults shows.
This is the first study to show a link between higher tongue volumes, percentage of tongue fat and sleep apnea in obese people. Adults who have a body mas index (BMI) of 30 or higher are considered to be obese.
For the study, the researchers examined 90 obese adults with sleep apnea and 31 obese controls without the sleep disorder. The study team accounted for age, body mass index, gender and ethnicity.
Researchers concluded that the risk of sleep apnea is greater for people with heavier tongues because the extra weight damages muscle functioning, restricting movement that ultimately causes airway blockages. The team's findings found that the retroglossal region of the tongue, which is the area at the back, was associated with sleep apnea.
"Tongue size is one of the physical features that should be evaluated by a physician when screening obese patients to determine their risk for obstructive sleep apnea," said American Academy of Sleep Medicine President Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler. "Effective identification and treatment of sleep apnea is essential to optimally manage other conditions associated with this chronic disease, including high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke and depression."
Lead study author Dr. Richard J. Schwaband explained that the findings provide evidence of a "novel pathogenic mechanism explaining the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and obesity."
The findings are published in October issue of the journal Sleep.
