Jump to: What is sleep apnea? | What is Mounjaro? | Why take Mounjaro if you have sleep apnea? | Take home message
You can take Mounjaro (tirzepatide) if you have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and your BMI is over 27. In fact, weight loss could significantly improve your sleep apnea symptoms.
Recent research shows a clear link between excess body weight and OSA severity. For every 10% increase in body weight, the risk of developing more severe OSA increases by 20-30%.
Encouragingly, a SURMOUNT-1 analysis investigating tirzepatide’s effects on OSA found that significant weight loss significantly improved sleep apnea symptoms.
The study showed that people taking Mounjaro experienced improvements in their Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) scores – a key measure of OSA severity – alongside substantial weight loss.
These improvements in OSA symptoms were most pronounced in individuals with greater weight loss, suggesting a linear relationship between weight and OSA.
If you take Mounjaro with OSA, it’s recommended that you:
- Continue using your CPAP machine as prescribed
- Monitor your OSA symptoms
- Work with your healthcare team to adjust treatment as needed
- Maintain good sleep hygiene practices
On Second Nature’s Mounjaro weight-loss programme, the clinical team monitors your progress and response to medication. All members have access to a nutritionist or dietitian five days a week for lifestyle support and advice.
What is sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the throat muscles intermittently relax during sleep, blocking the airway and temporarily stopping breathing.
Research shows that excess body weight can contribute to OSA by increasing fat deposits around the upper airway, making it more likely to collapse during sleep.
Common symptoms include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, morning headaches, excessive daytime sleepiness, and difficulty concentrating.
OSA is typically diagnosed through a sleep study that measures how often per hour your breathing stops or becomes very shallow (the AHI score).
The condition is serious but treatable. Untreated OSA can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart problems, type 2 diabetes, and other health complications.
What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is a dual-action weight-loss injection. It supports weight loss by mimicking two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, that communicate with the brain’s appetite control centre, the hypothalamus, to lower hunger and food-seeking behaviour.
By lowering hunger and our desire to eat, Mounjaro helps us eat fewer calories to achieve a calorie deficit.
A calorie deficit occurs when we consume fewer calories than our body needs to fuel its essential functions, such as digestion, blood flow, and brain function.
By creating a calorie deficit, our bodies will ‘burn’ the excess fat stored for energy, and we’ll lose weight.
Mounjaro also slows down the rate at which we digest food so that our stomach and gut send signals to the brain to signal the feeling of fullness.
So, Mounjaro supports weight loss by making us feel less hungry through two mechanisms:
1. Communicating with the brain’s appetite control centre
2. Slowing the rate that food is digested
Randomised controlled trials have shown that Mounjaro leads to an average weight loss of around 26% after one year.
Why take Mounjaro if you have sleep apnea?
The relationship between weight and sleep apnea is well-established. Research shows that significant weight loss can improve or even resolve OSA symptoms in some cases.
For every 10% reduction in body weight, studies show an average 20-30% improvement in the severity of sleep apnea symptoms, measured by the AHI score.
One study showed that after being randomised to a weight loss and lifestyle intervention, 62% of participants no longer needed CPAP therapy.
The SURMOUNT-1 substudy demonstrated that participants taking Mounjaro who achieved substantial weight loss also experienced significant improvements in their sleep apnea symptoms.
This improvement likely occurs because weight loss reduces fat deposits around the upper airway, making it less likely to collapse during sleep. Weight loss can also decrease inflammation, which may benefit airway function.
Beyond direct effects on OSA, weight loss through Mounjaro may improve other aspects of health that often accompany sleep apnea, such as:
- Blood pressure control
- Blood sugar regulation
- Cardiovascular health
- Overall sleep quality
Take home message
Weight-loss medications like Mounjaro could be valuable in managing sleep apnea through significant weight reduction.
Research suggests substantial weight loss may improve OSA symptoms and potentially reverse the condition.
Success depends on working closely with your healthcare team to monitor your OSA symptoms and response to the medication.
Second Nature’s medication programmes
Second Nature has two medication-supported programmes: a Wegovy weight-loss programme and a Mounjaro weight-loss programme.
Why should you choose Second Nature over other medication providers if you’ve decided to try Mounjaro or Wegovy (assuming you’re eligible)?
For peace of mind.
Second Nature has worked with the NHS for over 6 years, providing weight-loss programmes across the UK.
While our Wegovy and Mounjaro weight-loss programmes are private and not currently used by the NHS, we’ve built the programmes focusing on scientific evidence, patient safety, and data security.
We hope that our 6+ years of working with the NHS and building a track record of effective weight-loss results will give you peace of mind to give us a try.
