Sleep Apnea is not caused by Obesity alone

A common belief is that being overweight causes sleep apnea, and while that is indeed a factor, there’s more to the story.

A recent study published in the journal Frontiers identified another associated factor, one that may be easier to manage than body weight.

The triglyceride glucose-body mass index (TyG-BMI) is a relatively new measure that combines body mass index (BMI) with triglyceride (blood fat) and glucose levels. This index is an accurate indicator of insulin resistance—a condition in which the body’s cells don’t respond effectively to insulin, resulting in higher blood sugar levels.

Insulin resistance is the main cause of type 2 diabetes and is closely associated with obesity, making the TyG-BMI index a valuable tool for assessing people’s overall health.

In this study, researchers investigated whether there is a significant association between the TyG-BMI index and the risk of developing sleep apnea. This is important because diabetes is typically considered a consequence rather than a risk factor for sleep apnea.

The researchers utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2015 to 2018. This is a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population that collects detailed data on various health and nutritional factors.

For this analysis, 4,588 participants were included, all of whom submitted data on their BMI, triglyceride levels, glucose levels, and sleep apnea status.

After crunching the numbers, the results of the study were clear.

1. There was a significant association between higher TyG-BMI levels and an increased risk of sleep apnea, with participants high on the index being 54% more likely to develop this sleep breathing disorder.

2. TyG-BMI was a risk factor for sleep apnea only in people under the age of 60.

3. Factors such as gender, smoking status, and alcohol did not influence the strength of the association between TyG-BMI and sleep apnea.

4. There was a potentially strong risk of sleep apnea for people with diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, but there were too few participants with these conditions to draw any definitive conclusions.

Healing sleep apnea is even more crucial than identifying it and the process can be surprisingly easy with the simple 3-minute throat exercises found here…