Objective:

Objective of this study is to assess lifestyle factors including dietary and physical activity characteristics in OSA patients. 

Background:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep disorder that significantly impacts health. While CPAP therapy is standard, lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise can potentially mitigate severity of OSA. Data on lifestyle factors in OSA patients are currently lacking. Goal of this study is to assess lifestyle factors including dietary and physical activity characteristics in OSA patients. 

Design/Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional survey study at the Mayo Clinic Florida Sleep Clinic using REDCap, analyzing data from 49 patients. The study investigated relationships between body mass index (BMI), global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, Mini-Eating Assessment Tool (Mini-EAT) scores, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) scores with severity of OSA using the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Multiple regression analysis was employed to explore these associations.

Results:

Preliminary results identified higher physical activity levels (IPAQ scores) were significantly associated with lower AHI scores (p = 0.043), suggesting a protective effect of exercise against OSA severity. While the relationship between Mini-EAT (diet) scores and AHI was not statistically significant, a trend was observed between improved dietary scores and less severe OSA. In addition, a significant inverse correlation between PSQI scores and AHI (p = 0.013), indicating that poorer sleep quality is linked to more severe OSA.

Conclusions:

Preliminary results from this study identified a positive relationship between physical activity levels and lower severity of OSA. Increased sample size is needed to further explore whether a healthy dietary pattern is correlated with severity of OSA and sleep quality.  These findings may support a structured exercise (and dietary) programs that could be beneficial as adjunct therapies in OSA treatment.