Surgical weight loss results in an improvement of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a study by staff at the Walter Reed Army Medical Centre suggests.

However, the majority of patients continue to have moderate to severe OSA 12 months after undergoing bariatric surgery, the research indicates.

A total of 24 consecutive patients who had been referred for preoperative evaluation of excessive daytime somnolence prior to bariatric surgery took part in the study.

Each patient was assessed by overnight polysomnography prior to - and one year after - undergoing bariatric surgery, web resource Eurekalert notes.

Reductions in the apnoea-hypopnea index of 22 of the subjects were recorded. However, 23 had persistent OSA at follow-up sessions.

"We were surprised by the severity of the residual sleep apnea in postoperative patients. The majority of individuals still had moderate to severe OSA," comments principal investigator Dr Christopher Lettieri.

The researchers conclude that the likelihood of OSA resolution is dependent on the severity of the condition, rather than a patient's weight prior to surgery.

Publication of the study follows a warning from the International Diabetes Foundation that sleep apnoea and Type 2 diabetes are closely linked.

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