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Study Finds Tongue Fat Can Lead to Sleep Apnea
healhline.com ^ | Kristen Fischer01/10/2020

Posted on 01/11/2020 10:26:15 AM PST by BenLurkin

According to a report in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, a team led by Dr. Richard Schwab, the chief of sleep medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, used MRI scans to look at how weight loss affected the upper airway. They say that lowering tongue fat is a primary factor to ease the severity of OSA. Though we already knew weight loss can improve symptoms, Schwab said research hasn’t looked at fat loss in the tongue.

In 2014, Schwab conducted research that found patients with obesity and OSA had larger tongues and higher percentages of tongue fat compared to those without sleep apnea.

In the current study, Schwab’s team evaluated 67 participants with obesity and mild to severe OSA. They had MRI scans in their pharynx and abdomen prior to losing weight. Patients lost about 10 percent of their body weight via diet or weight loss surgery over a 6-month span. After losing weight and having another MRI, the team quantified changes in their weight loss, as well as reductions of the volume in the upper airway structures. Their sleep apnea scores improved by 31 percent, and tongue fat loss was the biggest link between weight loss and OSA improvement.

Losing weight also reduced the volume between the pterygoid (a jaw muscle that controls chewing) and pharyngeal lateral wall (the muscles on the sides of the airway). That improved OSA, but not as effectively or to the extent of tongue fat loss.

(Excerpt) Read more at healthline.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: apnea; asthma; obesity; sleepapnea; snoring

1 posted on 01/11/2020 10:26:15 AM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin
My wife hates my snoring. I’ll ask her if she can suggest some tongue exercises.
2 posted on 01/11/2020 10:28:30 AM PST by Fido969 (In!)
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To: BenLurkin

Got to be some jokes in there.


3 posted on 01/11/2020 10:28:46 AM PST by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: BenLurkin

Your fat tongue can stop that snoring if used the wrong way; hard to breathe through a broken nose.


4 posted on 01/11/2020 10:32:13 AM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
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To: BenLurkin

A lot of women are gonna suggest tongue exercises for a log of guys if they read this.

I wonder if you can sprain a tongue muscle or get a cramp?

That could be awkward.


5 posted on 01/11/2020 10:37:18 AM PST by dp0622 (Radicals, racists Don't point fingers at me I'm a small town white boy Just tryin' to make ends meet)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Thanks BenLurkin. My heart doctor to whom I was referred regarding my sleep apnea told me the various conditions (including congestive heart failure) that are reduced as a risk via the use of the CPAP machine. Also, he noted that snoring is not the same thing as sleep apnea -- obviously he's never slept with anyone in my family. :^)

6 posted on 01/11/2020 10:46:52 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: dp0622

Tongue exercises, eh?

“8^@


7 posted on 01/11/2020 10:54:33 AM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and so few by deceit. Noel Coward)
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To: dp0622

That’s what SHE said.


8 posted on 01/11/2020 10:55:29 AM PST by polymuser (It's discouraging to think how many people are shocked by honesty and so few by deceit. Noel Coward)
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To: BenLurkin

Yep. When you get fat that puts more “material” in your throat. Then your throat closes when your muscles relax from falling asleep. Not being able to breathe wakes you up.

That’s obstructive sleep apnea.

Unless you have some anatomy problem, loosing weight will fix it.


9 posted on 01/11/2020 10:59:08 AM PST by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: MV=PY

“losing” ;)


10 posted on 01/11/2020 11:14:37 AM PST by MV=PY (The Magic Question: Who's paying for it?)
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To: elcid1970

Folks who continuously wag their tongue by speaking without saying anything, do so to keep it thin and not have sleep apnea.

Talk more, say less, just keep that tongue moving.

Why deep throat kissing is good exercise for a healthy and thin tongue.


11 posted on 01/11/2020 11:15:56 AM PST by GreyFriar (Spearhead - 3rd Armored Division 75-78 & 83-87)
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To: dp0622

“A lot of women are gonna suggest tongue exercises for a log of guys if they read this.”

My wife has turned my tongue into 6 pack abs.


12 posted on 01/11/2020 12:00:42 PM PST by setter
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To: setter
My wife has turned my tongue into 6 pack abs

Sounds like she should be the one named Setter.

13 posted on 01/11/2020 12:06:13 PM PST by Fightin Whitey
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To: BenLurkin

ew


14 posted on 01/11/2020 12:11:09 PM PST by yldstrk (Bingo! We have a winner!)
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To: BenLurkin

Bkmk


15 posted on 01/11/2020 12:12:08 PM PST by sauropod (Hold onto that impeachment for a while. It'll get better with age, just like Jennifer Rubin has.)
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To: BenLurkin

Now if they can only find out what cause central apnea.


16 posted on 01/11/2020 12:34:03 PM PST by Crusher138 ("Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just")
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To: setter

LOL


17 posted on 01/11/2020 3:49:55 PM PST by dp0622 (Radicals, racists Don't point fingers at me I'm a small town white boy Just tryin' to make ends meet)
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To: BenLurkin

Having ice cream and soda after dinner can also cause sleeping problems.


18 posted on 01/11/2020 8:03:37 PM PST by minnesota_bound (homeless guy. He just has more money....)
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To: BenLurkin

In the case of Adam Schiff, a fat head leads to brain damage and Insanity.


19 posted on 01/11/2020 10:20:53 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper (Figures)
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