Can going on a GLP-1 help you with your sleep apnoea?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-09-04 01:00

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Photo: Pete Prodoehl (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en)

GLP-1 RA weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro, can help manage sleep apnoea when the condition is caused by obesity, according to an international review. The researchers say up to 70% of sleep apnoea patients have obesity, so they reviewed research into the potential impacts of GLP-1s on the condition. The researchers say while they're not as effective as a CPAP machine, current research shows taking a GLP-1 is linked to a reduction in sleep apnoea symptoms with up to half of patients experiencing remission. The researchers say these results are primarly driven directly by weight lost on the drugs, so patients whose sleep apnoea is not weight-related are unlikely to see the same benefits.

News release

From: JAMA

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This review suggest that GLP-1 RAs offer otolaryngologists a disease-modifying adjunct for obesity-related OSA that is best positioned as complementary therapy alongside CPAP, preoperative optimization before upper airway surgery, or potentially to expand hypoglossal nerve stimulator candidacy. They are appropriate for patients with a body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) greater than 30 who are CPAP-intolerant or have obesity-related comorbidities but are unlikely to benefit individuals without obesity or those with primarily anatomical obstruction. Critical evidence gaps include associations with pharyngeal critical closing pressure, drug-induced sleep endoscopy collapse patterns, and hypoglossal nerve stimulator combination therapy outcomes.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Pittsburgh, USA

Funder: Dr Kaffenberger reported personal fees from Inspire Medical Systems and Nyxoah SA and grants from Cryosa Medical outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

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