title: A fatty meal aggravates apnea and increases sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a fatty meal before bedtime, on sleep characteristics and blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Recently diagnosed, by full polysomnography (PSG), patients with OSA (n=19) were included. These underwent PSG for additional two consecutive nights. Two hours before the PSG examination, a ham and cheese sandwich of 360 kcal was served to all patients, at first night, while a fatty meal of 1,800 kcal was served before the second PSG examination. Comparisons were performed between the last two examinations in terms of PSG data and morning and night blood pressure measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the fatty meal, a significant increase was observed in total sleep time (p=0.026) in the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) (p=0.015), as well as in the absolute number of obstructive and central apneas (p=0.032 and p=0.042, respectively) compared to the previous night. Conversely, distribution of sleep stages and indices of nocturnal hypoxia (average and minimum SpO2 and sleep time with SpO2<90 %) did not change significantly. Likewise, no significant change was observed in blood pressure measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fatty meal intake before sleep can increase AHI in OSA patients, although it does not affect sleep architecture or indices of hypoxia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Therapeutics, Division of Pneumonology, Medical School, National University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trakada
authors.forename: Paschalis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steiropoulos
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
authors.forename: Evangelia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nena
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papanas
authors.forename: Efstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maltezos
authors.forename: Demosthenes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D017286:Polysomnography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology*; D020182:Sleep Apnea, Central / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D010100:Oxygen