Sleep apnea may be tied to tongue fat, study finds

A new study identifies a fat tongue as a primary factor in the common sleep disorder.

published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine has singled out the main culprit behind this blockage -- a fat tongue.

Obesity has long been linked with obstructive sleep apnea. The study sought to pinpoint what exactly is causing this obstruction of the airway. The researchers performed MRI scans on 67 participants with obstructive sleep apnea, before and after the patients underwent diet regimens or weight-loss surgery to help with the sleep disorder. On average, the participants lost nearly 10% of their body weight over six months, which resulted in a 31% improvement in sleep apnea.

"Primary care doctors, and perhaps even dentists, should be asking about snoring and sleepiness in all patients, even those who have a normal body mass index, as, based on our data, they may also be at risk for sleep apnea," Schwab said in a press release. is an editorially-independent nonprofit print, electronic and video journalism news service owned and operated by the American Institute of Physics.

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