Could A Fat Tongue Be A Factor In Sleep Apnea?

How many people do you know with sleep apnea?  I know dozens, mostly men, mostly overweight.  There are exceptions to this generality, like my female friend who weighs about 100 pounds and is very fit.  Now I hear that sleep apnea may be caused by a "fat" tongue.

A study at the Sleep Center at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School has released the findings from their recent study that show that fat deposits are increased in the tongue of obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea.  People with sleep apnea have constricted airways during sleep, leading to repeated stops and starts in breathing.  The telltale signs include chronic loud snoring, periodic gasps or choking, and for many people, daytime drowsiness because of poor sleep.

But the effects go beyond fatigue.  Studies suggest those pauses in breathing stress the nervous system, boosting blood pressure and  inflammation in the arteries.  Obese people tend to be more at risk for sleep apnea, and Schwab's team at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School say the new findings may help explain the link between obesity and the breathing disorder.

It was found that participants in the study with sleep apnea had significantly larger tongues, tongue fat and percentage of tongue fat than those in the study who did not have sleep apnea.  Higher levels of tongue fat may prevent muscles that attach the tongue to bone from positioning the tongue away from the airway during sleep.

Tongue size is one of the physical features that should be evaluated by a physician when screening obese patients to determine their risk for obstructive sleep apnea, says Dr. Timothy Morgenthaler, president of the American academy of Sleep Medicine.  Nearly 35% of U.S. adults are obese, so studying sleep apnea is of upmost importance.