Relationship between fat distribution and tongue strength in persons with and without obstructive sleep apnea

This study examined the tongue strength and endurance of persons with and without OSA using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for measures of fat distribution.Subjects included 11 persons (8 males, 3 females, M+SD = 65.9+8.4) with OSA (apnea/hypopnea index [AHI] > 10/h sleep) and 17 typical, healthy controls (12 males, 5 females, M+SD = 50.9+20.22).Tongue strength measures included maximum anterior and posterior strength, endurance, and strength during speech and swallowing tasks.DEXA was used to calculate total visceral fat %, total neck fat %, and total body fat %. Results showed no significant difference in tongue strength measures based on the presence of OSA.Regression analyses showed that total body fat % was able to predict tongue strength during speech (R 2 =.291, F (1, 26) =10.24, p=.004.) and visceral fat % was able to predict tongue strength during swallowing (R 2 =.214, F (1, 26) =6.8, p=.015).Beta coefficients showed that tongue strength increased as fat %increased (β =.539, .462).Finally, there was no difference in speech or swallowing tongue strength reserves between the groups, and participants used 17% and 42% of their strength reserves during speech and swallowing tasks, respectively.Regression analysis of obesity and tongue strength reserves indicate that with each unit increase in total body fat %, speech reserves increased by more than half a percent (β=0.547;p=.003).Overall results suggest that reduced tongue strength may not be a factor in the pathogenesis of OSA.