Lasting gains for sleep apnea
- Published in
- Sleep 2013
- People studied
- 264
In a trial of 264 people with type 2 diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea, about 21% in a weight-loss programme were free of apnea after 4 years, against about 4%.
- Checked against
- PubMed 23633746
- Published in
- Sleep 2013
- Last checked
- 30 October 2026
Key takeaway
This is the 4-year follow-up of the Sleep AHEAD trial in 264 adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. The weight-loss programme group lost about 10.7 kg in the first year and were still about 5.2 kg lighter at 4 years. They still had about 8 fewer breathing events an hour (pauses or shallow breaths during sleep) than the comparison group, and 20.7% were free of apnea, against 3.6%.
At a glance
- Type of study
- randomised trial, 4-year follow-up
- People studied
- 264
- How long
- 4 years
- Compared with
- a diabetes support and education group
- Main result
- 20.7% free of apnea after 4 years, against 3.6%.
- Strength of evidence
- Randomised trials
What this study does not show
Everyone had type 2 diabetes, so results may differ in other people. About half of the lost weight came back, and most people still had apnea.
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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