If you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, are older in age and have reduced body mass index (BMI), it might limit your success of sleep apnea treatment. These are all predictors of upper airway stimulation treatment response.

Researchers have found that for each one year increase in age, there is a 9 percent increase in the odds of treatment success in post hoc analysis. On the other hand, there is a 9 percent reduction in the odds of treatment success for each one unit increase in BMI. Age persisted as a statistically significant predictor for treatment success.

So, knowing this information, what can you do to protect yourself and improve treatment outcomes?

Adopt lifestyle changes

By taking the appropriate steps to improving your overall health and well-being, you can enhance the success of your treatment. It is not just about what you eat, but where you eat it and who makes the food. What is alarming is that home cooking has fallen by 25 percent in the last 40 years in the U.S. That means people are eating out more than ever, which is not a good thing.

Home cooking can make a big difference in your overall health and well-being. Just by cooking at home you can experience a variety of benefits, including portion control. You will consume less calories, additives, fats, sugars and salt because you know what is going into your food.

And by cooking at home you can take the right steps toward losing weight and lowering your BMI, which can improve sleep apnea treatment outcomes.