Mr. Pickwick and his child went on a field trip and returned almost empty handed...What we do not know and imperatively need to learn about obesity and breathing during sleep in children!

Does obstructive sleep apnoea contribute to obesity, hypertension and kidney dysfunction in children? A systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder that may directly contribute to the development of obesity, hypertension and renal injury. Although those associations seem to be clearer in adults, studies in children have revealed conflicting results and updated synthesis of the evidence is lacking. The aim of this systematic review is to summarise the available evidence on the effect of OSA on obesity, systemic blood pressure and kidney function, to help to elucidate whether respiratory interventions to correct OSA would have the potential to improve those outcomes.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A systematic literature review search was created by a medical librarian and peer-reviewed by a second librarian prior to running. Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, CINAHL via EbscoHOST, Wiley Cochrane Library and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global were searched on 25 February 2020. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers for inclusion, followed by full-text screening of relevant articles. Studies in children will be included if they report data on OSA and weight, systemic blood pressure or kidney parameters. The extracted data will be combined for analysis and the information subcategorised in groups based on outcome. Risk of bias will be determined using tools specific to study methodology and certainty of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study will provide essential information for healthcare professionals to better understand the relationship between childhood OSA and changes in body mass index, systemic blood pressure and kidney function indicators. Our findings will be disseminated through conferences and publications. The results of this review may guide the initiation of new strategies and the development of future research studies. This research did not involve human subjects and therefore did not undergo research ethical review.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020171186.

Obesity and Altered Sleep: A Pathway to Metabolic Derangements in Children?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a frequent disorder in children and is primarily associated with adenotonsillar hypertrophy. The prominent increases in childhood overweight and obesity rates in the world even among youngest of children have translated into parallel increases in the prevalence of OSA, and such trends are undoubtedly associated with deleterious global health outcomes and life expectancy. Even an obesity phenotype in childhood OSA, more close to the adult type, has been recently proposed. Reciprocal interactions between sleep in general, OSA, obesity, and disruptions of metabolic homeostasis have emerged in recent years. These associations have suggested the a priori involvement of complex sets of metabolic and inflammatory pathways, all of which may underlie an increased risk for increased orexigenic behaviors and dysfunctional satiety, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance that ultimately favor the emergence of metabolic syndrome. Here, we review some of the critical evidence supporting the proposed associations between sleep disruption and the metabolism-obesity complex. In addition, we describe the more recent evidence linking the potential interactive roles of OSA and obesity on metabolic phenotype.

The underlying interactome of childhood obesity: the potential role of sleep

Fine-tuning and integration between social rhythms and biological rhythms should be a priority for all, especially for children. As such, the opportunity to sleep should fit the evolving needs for sleep in a child. Unfortunately, children today are highly unlikely to obtain sufficient sleep or live under stable and regular schedules. Poor or dysregulated sleep affects the regulation of homeostatic and hormonal systems underlying somatic and intellectual growth, maturation, and bioenergetics. Therefore, in the prevention and management of childhood obesity, assessments of the “obesogenic” lifestyle, such as dietary and physical activity patterns, need to be coupled with accurate evaluation of the quality and quantity of sleep and with the potential co-existence of sleep-disordered breathing or other sleep disorders. Incorporation of sleep as an integral component of many childhood research studies on obesity should be done a priori rather than as an afterthought. Although parents and health professionals have meticulously delineated,observed, and quantified normal patterns of activities such as eating or playing, the absence of reliable sleep health data in children is all the more puzzling considering that young children engage in sleeping activities more than in any other activity during the 24-hour cycle. Therefore, the most forgotten, overlooked, or even actively ignored behavior of this century is undoubtedly childhood sleep. Trends aiming to reduce sleep in children have emerged, and regrettably continue to gain momentum. In parallel with such undesirable consequences, leading to the blatant disregard of sleep as a vital function rather than a commodity, a reciprocal increase in obesity rates has emerged. The mechanistic links between sleep and metabolism are now emerging, and should prompt incorporation of measures aiming to align sleep with any other antiobesity campaign. To paraphrase a well-known dictum “Somni sano in corpore sano” (healthy sleep in healthy bodies).

A mediation model linking body weight, cognition, and sleep-disordered breathing

RATIONALE

Academic success involves the ability to use cognitive skills in a school environment. Poor academic performance has been linked to disrupted sleep associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). In parallel, poor sleep is associated with increased risk for obesity, and weight management problems have been linked to executive dysfunction, suggesting that interactions may be operational between SDB and obesity to adversely affect neurocognitive outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To test whether mediator relationships exist between body weight, SDB, and cognition.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was conducted on data from 351 children in a community-based cohort assessed with the core subtests of the Differential Abilities Scales after an overnight polysomnogram. Body mass index, apnea-hypopnea index, and cognitive abilities were modeled as latent constructs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

In a sample of predominantly white children 6 to 10 years of age, SDB amplified the adverse cognitive and weight outcomes by 0.55- to 0.46-fold, respectively. Weight amplified the risk by 0.39- to 0.40-fold for SDB and cognitive outcomes, respectively. Poor ability to perform complex mental processing functions increased the risk of adverse weight and SDB outcomes by 2.9- and 7.9-fold, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Cognitive functioning in children is adversely affected by frequent health-related problems, such as obesity and SDB. Furthermore, poorer integrative mental processing may place a child at a bigger risk for adverse health outcomes.

Impact of lifestyle and technology developments on sleep

Although the physiological and psychological mechanisms involved in the development of sleep disorders remain similar throughout history, factors that potentiate these mechanisms are closely related to the "zeitgeist", ie, the sociocultural, technological and lifestyle trends which characterize an era. Technological advancements have afforded modern society with 24-hour work operations, transmeridian travel and exposure to a myriad of electronic devices such as televisions, computers and cellular phones. Growing evidence suggests that these advancements take their toll on human functioning and health via their damaging effects on sleep quality, quantity and timing. Additional behavioral lifestyle factors associated with poor sleep include weight gain, insufficient physical exercise and consumption of substances such as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Some of these factors have been implicated as self-help aids used to combat daytime sleepiness and impaired daytime functioning. This review aims to highlight current lifestyle trends that have been shown in scientific investigations to be associated with sleep patterns, sleep duration and sleep quality. Current understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these associations will be presented, as well as some of the reported consequences. Available therapies used to treat some lifestyle related sleep disorders will be discussed. Perspectives will be provided for further investigation of lifestyle factors that are associated with poor sleep, including developing theoretical frameworks, identifying underlying mechanisms, and establishing appropriate therapies and public health interventions aimed to improve sleep behaviors in order to enhance functioning and health in modern society.