American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Oct 2014
Enhanced Upper-airway Muscle Responsiveness is a Distinct Feature of Overweight/Obese Individuals Without Sleep Apnea.
Body habitus is a major determinant of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, many individuals do not have OSA despite being overweight/obese (body mass index > 25 kg/m(2)) for reasons that are not fully elucidated. ⋯ Overweight/obese individuals without apnea have a moderately compromised upper-airway structure that is mitigated by highly responsive upper-airway dilator muscles to avoid OSA. Elucidating the mechanisms underlying enhanced muscle responses in this population may provide clues for novel OSA interventions.