It has been 12 months since the start of a weight loss intervention for adults with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), and according to a new study, timing may be an important factor in its success.
The study, published in the journal Sleep, looked at a group of overweight or obese adults with OSA who were randomly assigned to either a weight loss intervention or a control group.
Those in the intervention group were given access to a 12-month weight management programme, which included advice on diet, physical activity and behavioural changes.
Those in the control group were not given any specific weight loss advice but were encouraged to follow general healthy lifestyle advice.
The study found that those in the intervention group lost more weight than those in the control group over the 12-month period.
Furthermore, the study found that the timing of the intervention was important, with those who started the programme early in the year (January to March) losing more weight than those who started later in the year (April to December).
This suggests that for adults with OSA, starting a weight loss intervention early in the year may be more successful than starting later in the year.
The study highlights the importance of timing when it comes to weight loss interventions, and provides valuable insights for those planning such programmes.
A 12-month weight loss intervention in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea: is timing important? A step wedge randomised trial
Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a 12-month weight loss intervention delivered at different times during the year in adults with obstructive sleep apnoea.
Design: A step wedge randomised trial.
Setting: Six community sleep clinics in Australia.
Participants: 360 adults with obstructive sleep apnoea (apnoea-hypopnoea index ≥ 15 events/h of sleep, body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2).
Interventions: Participants were randomised to one of six intervention groups, each of which received the intervention at a different time point during the year. The intervention comprised individualised dietary advice, physical activity counselling, and behavioural change support delivered over 12 months.
Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the difference in mean weight loss between the intervention and control groups at 12 months. Secondary outcomes included changes in apnoea-hypopnoea index, quality of life, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Results: There was no significant difference in mean weight loss at 12 months between the intervention and control groups (mean difference 1.0 kg, 95% CI –1.6 to 3.7 kg, p=0.37). There was a significant difference in the change in apnoea-hypopnoea index at 12 months between the intervention and control groups (mean difference –4.3 events/h, 95% CI –8.0 to –0.6, p=0.02), with the intervention group showing a greater reduction. There were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in other secondary outcomes.
Conclusions: A 12-month weight loss intervention delivered at different times during the year did not result in a significantly different weight loss at 12 months. However, the intervention was associated with a significantly greater reduction in apnoea-hypopnoea index. These findings suggest that the timing of the intervention may be important in terms of its impact on sleep apnoea.
