Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Sleep Architecture in Adolescents With Severe Obesity: Effects of a 9-Month Lifestyle Modification Program Based on Regular Exercise and a Balanced Diet

Study Objectives: Physical exercise and lifestyle modification are recognized as adjunct therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in overweight adults. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of long-term physical exercise combined with a balanced diet on sleep architecture, sleep duration, and OSA in adolescents with severe obesity. Methods: This interventional study was conducted in a nursing institution. Participants were aged 14.6 +/- 1.2 years with obesity (body mass index (BMI) = 40.2 +/- 6.5 kg/m(2)). At admission and at 9 months, participants underwent ambulatory polysomnography and incremental maximal exercise testing to determine cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: Twenty-four subjects completed the study. Analyses were performed on the whole population and on a subgroup of subjects with OSA (OSA-subgroup). OSA, defined as obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (OAHI) >= 2 events/h, was diagnosed in 58.3% of the population. OAHI was only associated with fat mass in males (r = .75, P < .05). At 9 months postintervention, weight loss (-11.1 kg, P < .0001) and improved cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2 peak: +4.9 mL/min/kg, P < .001) were found in the whole population. Sleep duration was increased (+34 minutes, P < .05) and sleep architecture was changed with an increase of rapid eye movement sleep (+2.5%, P < .05) and a decrease of stage N3 sleep (-3.1%, P < .001). Similar results were found in the OSA subgroup. However, OAHI remained unchanged (P = .18). Conclusions: A combination of supervised aerobic exercise and a balanced diet led to weight loss, improved aerobic capacity, and modified sleep architecture without changes in OSA. Commentary: A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 907.