The impact of pharyngeal fat tissue on the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea

Purpose Obesity is the most important risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); however, the exact underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the morphology of upper airways in overweight habitual snorers and in mild OSA patients. Furthermore, the associations between weight loss, parapharyngeal fat pad area and OSA were assessed in a 1-year randomised, controlled follow-up study originally conducted to determine the effects of lifestyle changes with weight reduction as a treatment of OSA. Methods Thirty-six overweight adult patients with mild OSA [apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) 5–15 events/h] and 24 weight-matched habitual snorers (AHI