The approval <\/a>marks a new development in the treatment of a condition that affects breathing during sleep and can contribute to a range of health complications, including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and daytime fatigue. OSA occurs when the upper airway becomes blocked during sleep, causing repeated interruptions in breathing throughout the night.<\/p>\n The medication is approved for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in adults with a body mass index of 30 or higher.<\/p>\n For patients living with both obesity and sleep apnea, the relationship between the two conditions can be difficult to break, according to Dr. Paulette Pillersdorf, a dentist and snoring and sleep apnea therapist.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are many patients who are overweight and have sleep apnea, and it works in two directions,\u201d Pillersdorf said in an interview with CTVNews.ca. \u201cIf you are overweight and you do have sleep apnea, it can affect hormones like ghrelin and leptin that make it harder to lose weight. Once you can lose weight, and that can be one of the effects of going on tirzepatide, then it becomes much easier to continue losing weight as those hormones stabilize.\u201d<\/p>\n Sleep specialists have long noted the connection between obesity and obstructive sleep apnea<\/a>. Excess weight can contribute to airway obstruction, while poor sleep may make weight management more difficult, creating a cycle that can be challenging for patients to break.<\/p>\n The approval was based on results from Phase 3 clinical trials that evaluated tirzepatide in adults with obesity and moderate-to-severe OSA. Researchers found participants taking the medication experienced fewer breathing interruptions during sleep, compared with those receiving a placebo. Some participants also saw their symptoms improve to the point where they were considered mild or no longer clinically significant after one year of treatment.<\/p>\n Pillersdorf said the trial results reinforce what clinicians have observed about the relationship between weight loss and sleep apnea severity.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as the clinical trials, it was shown that tirzepatide lowered apnea events by 63 per cent,\u201d she said. \u201cAs a general guideline, if you lose 10 to 15 per cent of your body weight, it could decrease your apnea scores by as much as 50 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n She noted that the impact can vary depending on the severity of a patient\u2019s condition.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have severe apnea, it could lower you to a more moderate category, or if you are mild or moderate, it could actually put you in a milder or even a normal range for sleep apnea,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/WQVVKDI7YFSMQMHB3VIRBUQTIE.jpg\")
Weight-Loss Drug Zepbound As Patients Face Shortages An Eli Lilly & Co. Zepbound injection pen arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, March 28, 2024. <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/J76J6GGBKY4CYZLDJU5ABVKW6M.jpg\")
CPAP machine Ronald Yhap is one of the 30,000 Nova Scotians living with sleep apnea. He was diagnosed after undergoing a sleep study. <\/p>\n