Went to AWAKE Meeting tonight

[lab rat]

The only hope for a cure (other than painful, not very successful surgery) that I have heard about is weight loss. Some people that lose weight lose their apnea as well.

Yes I attended a meeting in the late 90's with none other than my specialist, Dr Murray Johns of Melbourne's Epworth Hospital (one of the pioneers of apnea research) and he said early treatments involved surgery to remove excess tissue in your throat but this had proved largely ineffective.

And the nature of sleep apnea was such that a "cure" was likely decades away if at all possible.

He did say that left untreated the average life expectancy of a sufferer was 7 years. So if you're 35 now you're likely to be dead at 40 if you do nothing

[me50]

The only hope for a cure (other than painful, not very successful surgery) that I have heard about is weight loss. Some people that lose weight lose their apnea as well.

I have heard a few stories like this but I think it is rare that losing weight will cure a person from apnea. There would have to be the loss of tissue in the throat area to accomplish that. Don't let that stop anyone from losing weight though! It will definitely improve your overall health and there is treatment for apnea as we all know; weight loss could be responsible for lower pressures which is great!