Progress of weight reduction ~ still getting very good progress!

Due to using CPAP during sleeping, I do not have much new topic....
Since it is the end of August and I report a progress of weight reduction project

The previous update for the weight reduction is about two weeks ago, the average weight of a week was 157.9(lb).  After that, the average changed 155.9(lb) -> 155.8(lb).  There were a few days the weight was less than 155 (lb).  My weight on April 18 was 170.6 (lb), therefore, I have done about 15 (lb) reduction!  My target weight is somewhere less than 140 (lb) so, it is probably a half way now.  (140 lb is BMI less than 22 with height 5 feet 6 inches).

I do not really restricted diet.  Therefore it was not very heard and I sometimes eat some extra when I feel really hungry.


Key is to be "Habit"

I realized that the key for the weight reduction is "to be habit".  I guess I could loose more weight if I more restricted diet.  However, I think it might be hard to sustain that diet.  I guess a better way to maintain a reasonable small adjustment.  For now, I am note sure if I need to reduce amount of what I eat to reduce more weight.  I just watch the trend of my weight with the current "habit".

Improvement?

Since I am using CPAP, the symptom is significantly improved.  The event of Sleep apnea CPAP device detects is somewhere less than 1 event per hour in the average.  (The original event rate in the sleep study was 7.1 event / hour)

Web service by CPAP vendor ~ MyAir

I have not tried any new things recently.  I've just been using CPAP equipment when I sleep nowadays.
The device I am using is ResMed Air Sense 10 AutoSet.  It sends data during sleeping through mobile network and doctors and insurance companies can access my data.  They also offer to access the data through PC and mobile application.

The insurance company decides to cover this treatment based on the usage. 
Due to on-going weight reduction effort, my symptom is getting much better and the event is only less than one event.  (This is based on data the CPAP device detects)

I think weight reduction helps at least my case!

SPO2 @ 12000 feet elevation

SPO2 @ 12000 feet elevation (August 18-19, 2018)

I am monitoring SPO2 value during sleeping due to understanding the symptom of Sleep Apnea.  This is an extra edition about SPO2!

(*) This is not much about Sleep Apnea....

SPO2 value in higher elevation

As I posted before, the reason I am interested in SPO2 / Pulse Oximeter which measures SPO2 is a relationship between SPO2 and elevation as a part of my hobby, climbing and hiking.  When people in higher elevation, SPO2 value typically gets lower and it will be back to normal when people are acclimatized the elevation.  Thus, SPO2 could be a good index to show the body response in higher elevation or low oxygen environment.  Then, I found SPO2 value in my sleep study report and that was why I record SPO2 value during sleeping.

What does SPO2 value look like at 12,000 feet elevation?

I could not measure continuous measurement for SPO2 before since I do not have an equipment to do.  However, I got one which can measure continuous SPO2 data during sleeping and I was thinking to measure it when I would be in higher elevation.

Finally, I had a chance to measure it.  I went hiking to Mt. Whitney which is the highest mountain in California / USA.  The elevation of the summit of Mt. Whitney is 14,505 feet.  The camping site a day before the summit attempt is Trail Camp.  The elevation of Trail Camp is about 12,000 feet where many people feel symptoms of high altitude sickness.

The chart on the top is the data, the average of SPO2 is 77%, the minimum is 60%.   For a reference data, the chart below is the one a night before hiking.

Data at home (August 16-17, 2018)

The average is 95% and the minimum is 87%.  Just looking at the number, the data at 12,000 feet elevation is very low.  I have been using CPAP when I sleep and symptom of Sleep Apnea is getting improved.  Although the lowest value of the night was 87,  it might not be a true data.  It might be due to contact between sensor and the body.  The following is a data with a better resolution.

August 16-17 with a better resolution

If you look at the chart carefully, the data is discontinue right before dropped SPO2.  Therefore, the data right after the discontinue might not be  a correct measurement.   If I look at a similar resolution of data in the high elevation, I do not see such discontinuous part except the part sensor was off the body.

August 18-19 data with a better resolution

Those are data I captured....

This is main topic of posting today!

First of all, I was wondering why dropping SPO2 to somewhere below 90% in a sleep study is concern.  The typical duration of a drop is probably a few minutes, it is around 1 minute in my case.
On the other hand, the data in higher elevation (12,000 feet) is less than 90% almost all portion.  (Plotting in red shows the value is less than 90%).   However, I have never felt something wrong when I stayed there a several days.  Therefore, I did not take seriously when my report of sleep study shows less than 90% drop.

If you look at the data carefully, the range of SPO2 value is much bigger in the high elevation.  In fact, when I try to measure SPO2 in real time, the measured value is not really stable and it is hard to pick a number which value would be a reasonable measurement data.  This is due to how people breath, such as deep breathing might help to improve the number.  Also, it becomes unstable when we move.  Anyhow, the fact is the SPO2 value is getting much lower when people are in a high altitude.

What I found out from the data, there is heart rate data with SPO2 trend.  The average heart rate at 12,000 feet is 83.6 bpm, the minimum is 55 bpm and the maximum is 111 bpm.  On the other hand, the data at home is average is 52.8 bpm , the minimum is 46 bpm and the maximum is 90 bpm.  (The maximum heart rate at home  might be a false data since the right before the maximum value, the data is discontinues).  Even if we assume 90 bpm is true data, there is 30 bpm difference between the data at home and the data at 12,000.

Not only SPO2, but also heart rate is getting higher!

The data shows, SPO2 value is getting lower, however, due to low SPO2 in higher elevation, the heart rate is also getting higher.   I am not a specialist in this area and this is all speculation.  Increasing the volume of circulation, the total amount of oxygen could not be very low.  Another word, I think the human body might have enough oxygen even if SPO2 shows lower value.

I checked SPO2 drop due to Sleep Apnea that the heart rate is increasing when SPO2 value is dropped.  However, it is very short period and it is back to normal in a short time.  It is very hard to seem how fast a human body responds it.  But I guess it might be very low oxygen due to Sleep Apnea and this is the reason of bad impacts  to your body.

Almost all cases people are in high altitude, the elevation is not suddenly up, it is slowly changed.  Therefore it has enough time to adjust the circulation just looking into the SP value.  Therefore the chance to get really low oxygen situation could be very small.

I was not aware of the difference, when I just looking at SPO2 value.  Now I had a data in higher elevation.  With that data, I realize Sleep Apnea would be one of serious symptom people need to get some treatment wither way.

This is an extra edition of Sleep Apnea for SPO2 value

Weight Reduction status ~ making a good progress!

Trend of my weight last 12 months

Background
As I posted a couple times, a doctor suspected "sleep apnea" and I had sleep study at home in April and the doctor concluded as "sleep apnea" in mid May.   Currently, I have been using CPAP machine for the treatment.  Also, one of reasons for sleep apnea is over weight, therefore, I am doing weight deduction now.

After age 40, I have been running a couple days a week.  However, I also ate too much and my weight is 165 ~ 180 lbs last ten years.  It was not too bad as long as I did regular exercise, however once I stopped regular running, I had some chest pain.  Finally I saw a doctor and found "sleep apnea".

Around last November to this February, there is a symptom for stress-fracture, I tended to take some rests and stopped running often, therefore, the weight trend was increasing.  This happened a couple times a yer and my weight was up and down frequently.

Serious weight reduction

Due to some relationship between exercise and the pain, I started weight reduction after I saw a doctor in March.  First thing I did was reduce the strength of exercise to lower the risk of injury to avoid to stop exercise so often.  Due to my age, it might be tough to continue some high intensity menu, I decided to change the direction of exercise.

The other thing was I tried to eat less especially carbohydrate foods such as rice and bread.  However it might be hard to continue very restricted diet for a long time, so that what I am doing is about 60~70% reduction.

I also take a walk during lunch time for 30 ~ 45 minutes around the office other than running.

I think it started working some time after May.  The weight reduction between March and May was probably due to resuming running.  Now, I am adopted and I can keep a good trend for my weight deduction.   It is close to 155 lbs now!

Impact to Sleep Apnea?

I think it depends on a type of sleep apnea.  In my case, it is obstructive sleep apnea and it might be a good chance to improve the symptom with weight reduction.  I can see some improvement before I started using CPAP a month ago.
Currently, I've been using CPAP and it is expected to get some improvement, however, a data detected by the CPAP machine shows it is also improved.

I will continue the weight reduction to target somewhere 135 lbs.

Here is the trend of an average weight for every week:

159.4lbs -> 158.3lbs -> 157.2lbs -> 156.7lbs

I can make a very good progress now!

(To be continue)

CPAP treatment ~ about 1 month

CPAP machine!

It's been a month since I started using CPAP during sleeping.  Initially, it was hard to get into sleep with the mask and hard to wear mask during sleeping.  I sometimes took the mask off during sleeping.   Now it is getting better.

SPO2 with CPAP

I continue to collect SPO2 data during sleeping, I still see SPO2 drop below 90% once or twice a night sometimes.  It is not everyday, however, it is still happening.  Before using CPAP machine, I tried a couple things to improve the symptom.  Some of them are probably helping to improve, but I still saw SPO2 drops a few times a night.

On the other hand, I do not have any symptoms I had before.  They are gone!  Even without CPAP, it was really improved.   However, I have been using CPAP machine for now.

Insurance coverage!

My insurance covers 90%  of cost using CPAP.  Originally, I was told that I had to buy the machine after a trial.  However, it is still renting it.  Based on the explanation, it will be rental base for a while and will switch to purchase it later.  So, the due for using CPAP is not much!  The initial cost is around USD $ 15 and monthly due is probably less than USD $10 for now.

However, I have to use it more than 4 hours a day and if it is less than 70% of total days, then the insurance company will stop covering it.   During summer, I probably go camping a couple times where I could not use it due to no power source.  Therefore, I have to use it as long as I stay home.  Also, it might be hard to do some other experiment without CPAP for now.  The CPAP machine keeps sending the data through a cellular network and doctors, insurance carrier will be able to check the usage daily !