More people free of apnea
- Published in
- Arch Intern Med 2009
- People studied
- 264
In a trial of 264 people with type 2 diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea, about 14% in a weight-loss programme were free of apnea after a year, against about 4%.
- Checked against
- PubMed 19786682
- Published in
- Arch Intern Med 2009
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
In the Sleep AHEAD trial, 264 people with type 2 diabetes, obesity and obstructive sleep apnea were randomly put in an intensive weight-loss programme or in diabetes education. After a year the programme group had lost about 10.8 kg, against 0.6 kg. They had about 10 fewer breathing events an hour (pauses or shallow breaths during sleep) than the comparison group. About 14% were free of apnea, against about 4%.
At a glance
- Type of study
- randomised trial
- People studied
- 264
- How long
- 1 year
- Compared with
- a diabetes support and education group (3 group sessions)
- Main result
- About 14% free of apnea after a year, against about 4%.
- Strength of evidence
- Randomised trials
What this study does not show
Everyone had type 2 diabetes and was about 61 years old on average, so results may differ in other people. Most people in the programme still had apnea after a year.
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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