Increased soft tissue around the airway, often resulting from obesity, though not seen in all patients with OSA.Some otorhinolaryngologists believe the risk factors to be structural features that give rise to a narrowed airway, such as enlarged tonsils, an enlarged posterior tongue or fat deposits in the neck. Further factors leading to OSA can be impaired nasal breathing, floppy soft palate or a collapsible epiglottis. Some oral and maxillofacial surgeons believe the risk factors to be a number of primary forms of mandibular hypoplasia, which offers a primary anatomical basis to the development of OSA through glossoptosis. Some maxillofacial surgeons who offer orthognathic surgery for treatment of OSA believe that their treatments offer superior guarantees of cure of OSA. Risk factors
Obesity
It is well known that children, adolescents or adults with OSA are often obese. Obese people show an increase in neck fat tissue which potentiate respiratory obstruction during sleep.However, people of all ages and sex with normal body mass indices (BMIs) can also demonstrate OSA – and these people do not have significant measures of subdermal or intra neck fat as shown on DEXA scans. It is speculated that they may have increased muscle mass, or alternatively have a tendency to decreased muscle tone potentiating airway collapse during sleep.However, loss of muscle tone is a key feature of deep sleep anyway, and whilst obesity seems a common association, it is not an invariable state of OSA. Sleeping supine (on ones back) is also represented as a risk factor for OSA.
Researchers have observed in some studies that brain tumor patients (or their mothers) have generally consumed more cured foods (also known as Curing) than control groups. Recently, Drs. Lee, Wrensch and others found that adults with glioma were more likely to consume diets high in cured foods and low in vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, and to consume diets high in nitrites and low in vitamin C. The effect was more pronounced in men than women. However, the pattern of increased risk with increased consumption of cured foods, and decreased risk with greater consumption of fruits, vegetables, and antioxidant vitamins is compatible with other cancer studies that show increased consumption of vegetables and possibly of fruits is associated with decreased cancer risk. Radiation
A link between gliomas and electromagnetic radiation from cell phones has not been conclusively proven. It was considered possible, though several large studies have found no conclusive evidence, as summarized by the NIHs National Cancer Institute review of the topic and its numerous citations, and the FCC. However, further research is still being pursued to obtain more robust evidence and verify that there is no relationship (the NIHs National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences most recent press release discussed an ongoing study showing mildly positive results, although it appears there may have been issues with the control group dying prematurely). Infection with cytomegalovirus
Some studies have reported that glioblastomas are infected with cytomegalovirus, with suggestions that this may speed the development of tumors.