SynthesisBrazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology
Upper airway modifications after weight loss: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Brazilian journal of otorhinolaryngology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Role of the Hyoid Bone in Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity: A Systematic Review.Journal of sleep research · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of lingual and labial orthodontic treatment on the airway in adult with extraction of first premolars: a retrospective cohort study.BMC oral health · 2026Article
- Body Mass Index mediates the associations between dietary approaches to stop hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea among U.S. adults.Frontiers in nutrition · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveWeight loss is one of the most often prescribed treatments to reduce the level of sleep apnea severity; however, objective assessment of airway alterations after loss of weight has only been studied in the last decades. This study aimed at evaluating alterations after weight loss reported in the literature.
methodsA literature review was performed in the medical databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase. A total of 681 articles were found in the databases and after evaluation only 10 studies were selected for data extraction.
resultsMost studies observed an increase of the area in the retropalatal region; some indicating that this increase occurred mostly in the lateral pharyngeal region. Studies with volumetric reconstruction showed a significant reduction in parapharyngeal fat deposits, lateral wall and tongue fat, and volumetric reduction in all soft tissues of the pharynx, pterygoid and genioglossus muscles. Studies evaluating craniofacial bone structures showed a reduction in the airway height by bringing the hyoid closer to the posterior nasal spine and a reduction in the distance from the hyoid to the chin.
conclusionThere is a limited number of studies with a good level of scientific evidence evaluating changes in the upper airways after weight loss and how these changes impact obstructive sleep apnea. The studies included in this review indicate that weight loss increases the airways space by reducing the volume of the parapharyngeal structures, particularly at the retropalatal site, where there is an apparent gain in the lateral area of the airway and hyoid relocation.
Indexed as
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.