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A fatty meal aggravates apnea and increases sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

Sleep and Breathing volume 18, pages 53–58 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a fatty meal before bedtime, on sleep characteristics and blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods

Recently diagnosed, by full polysomnography (PSG), patients with OSA (n = 19) were included. These underwent PSG for additional two consecutive nights. Two hours before the PSG examination, a ham and cheese sandwich of 360 kcal was served to all patients, at first night, while a fatty meal of 1,800 kcal was served before the second PSG examination. Comparisons were performed between the last two examinations in terms of PSG data and morning and night blood pressure measurements.

Results

After the fatty meal, a significant increase was observed in total sleep time (p = 0.026) in the Apnea–Hypopnea Index (AHI) (p = 0.015), as well as in the absolute number of obstructive and central apneas (p = 0.032 and p = 0.042, respectively) compared to the previous night. Conversely, distribution of sleep stages and indices of nocturnal hypoxia (average and minimum SpO2 and sleep time with SpO2 < 90 %) did not change significantly. Likewise, no significant change was observed in blood pressure measurements.

Conclusions

Fatty meal intake before sleep can increase AHI in OSA patients, although it does not affect sleep architecture or indices of hypoxia.

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Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Division of Pneumonology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Georgia Trakada

  2. Department of Pneumonology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100, Dragana, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Georgia Trakada, Paschalis Steiropoulos, Paul Zarogoulidis, Evangelia Nena & Demosthenes Bouros

  3. Second Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece

    Nikolaos Papanas & Efstratios Maltezos

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  1. Georgia Trakada
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  2. Paschalis Steiropoulos
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Correspondence to Paschalis Steiropoulos.

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Trakada, G., Steiropoulos, P., Zarogoulidis, P. et al. A fatty meal aggravates apnea and increases sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep Breath 18, 53–58 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-013-0847-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-013-0847-y

Keywords

  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Apnea–Hypopnea Index
  • Fatty meal
  • Food timing
  • Sleep quality