Obesity is often cited as the number one risk factor for sleep apnea, which means weight LOSS is often recommended as a way to reduce the symptoms and severity of sleep apnea. But the disease of obesity is complex and for some, isn't easily solved by simply changing their diet and activity levels.
To understand more about this relationship between obesity and sleep apnea, Dr. Michael Breus sat down with Dr. Audrey Wells to discuss obesity bias, the complexity of obesity, how weight loss COULD help with sleep apnea, and whether Ozempic and Wegovy represent a new frontier for sleep medicine. They also discuss why women are at an increased risk for sleep apnea at two crucial stages in their lives.
📺 Check out our video on some alternatives to CPAP therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmASoDJnhuw
🧑🏻💻 Take our Sleep Quiz to receive some of Dr. Breus’s personalized sleep recommendations and begin your journey to better sleep! https://sleepdoctor.com/
0:00 Weight loss and sleep apnea
2:20 Can weight loss help you ditch the CPAP machine?
3:28 Oral appliances as an alternative to CPAP
5:30 Can weight loss drugs be helpful in sleep medicine?
9:20 Why menopause increases one's risk for sleep apnea
11:12 Why pregnant women are under-diagnosed for sleep apnea
🩺 Dr. Audrey Wells is triple board-certified in pediatrics, sleep, and obesity medicine. She helps sleep apnea patients struggling with CPAP therapy get the help and relief they need. You can download Dr. Wells’ guide, “If I Lose Weight Can I Kick my CPAP Out of Bed?” right here: https://www.supersleepmd.com/sleep-and-weight
😴 Michael Breus, Ph.D., is a double board-certified clinical psychologist and sleep expert. He's been in practice since 1999 and helped thousands of patients improve their sleep. Dr. Breus has written five books on sleep and conducted over 1,000 interviews to the press and public.
#sleepapnea #ozempic #cpaptherapy