Fewer breathing pauses at night
- Published in
- BMJ 2009
- People studied
- 63
In a small trial of 63 men with obesity and sleep apnea, a supervised very low calorie diet meant 23 fewer breathing events an hour than the comparison group after 9 weeks.
- Checked against
- PubMed 19959590
- Published in
- BMJ 2009
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
63 men with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea took part, all already using a night-time breathing machine. They were randomly given a liquid very low calorie diet for 7 weeks, or kept to their usual diet. After 9 weeks the diet group weighed about 20 kg less than the comparison group and had about 23 fewer breathing events an hour (pauses or shallow breaths during sleep). 5 of the 30 men on the diet (17%) no longer had apnea.
At a glance
- Type of study
- randomised trial
- People studied
- 63
- How long
- 9 weeks
- Compared with
- men who kept to their usual diet
- Main result
- About 23 fewer breathing events an hour after 9 weeks.
- Strength of evidence
- Small or uncontrolled studies
What this study does not show
A small, short trial in men only, on a strict supervised liquid diet. It does not show whether the effect lasts.
Results from studies in groups of people, mostly in diet and movement programmes. They cannot be promised to any one person. This information is educational and does not replace a consultation with a doctor.
More on sleep
- Milder sleep apneaLong-term or observational studies · Peppard et al., JAMA 2000
- More people free of apneaRandomised trials · Foster et al., Arch Intern Med 2009
- Fewer cases of mild apneaSmall or uncontrolled studies · Tuomilehto et al., Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2009
- Fewer breathing pauses at nightSmall or uncontrolled studies · Johansson et al., BMJ 2009
- Lasting gains for sleep apneaRandomised trials · Kuna et al., Sleep 2013
- Fewer breathing pauses with diet or exerciseRandomised trials · Edwards et al., Respirology 2019
- Less daytime sleepinessLong-term or observational studies · Carneiro-Barrera et al., Obes Rev 2019
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