There is a growing body of evidence to support the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity, which are important risk factors contributing to cardiometabolic risk. Moreover, obesity and sleep apnea often coexist in large epidemiological studies. In fact, it is estimated that 60-90% of patients with sleep apnea are obese (defined as BMI > 28 kg/m²) and that a BMI of 28 kg/m² has a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 74% for sleep apnea. Thus, obesity may be the single most important risk factor in the development of sleep apnea. These cardiometabolic risk factors, coupled with insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, pose a significant danger to health.

In this special issue, we seek to discuss the various mechanisms by which obesity may contribute to the development of sleep apnea among high-risk populations to elucidate effective disease management and treatment in order to provide clinicians, health educators, and policy makers with the most optimal strategies to reduce and prevent cardiovascular and metabolic disease morbidity and mortality.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Race/ethnicity and risk of OSA and cardiometabolic syndrome
• Management of diabetes and hypertension in OSA population
• Treatment of OSA and risk reduction of obesity
• Surrogate markers of cardiovascular disease and obesity
• Resistant hypertension in patients with OSA and metabolic syndrome: implications for the practicing physician
• Short sleep duration, obesity, and life satisfaction
• Linkage of lipid profiles and OSA
• Obesity, sleep, and race/ethnicity
• Obesity paradox and sleep duration
• Epidemic of obesity and sleep apnea as it relates to diabetes and cardiovascular risk
• Management of OSA, obesity, and psychosocial stressors
• Short sleep as a predictor of obesity
• Randomized controlled trials of weight loss to treat obstructive sleep apnea