Johnson RF, Hansen A, Narayanan A, et al. - Researchers conducted this retrospective cohort study for analyzing the cohort of obese adolescents with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to determine whether an increased annual weight gain was a predictor of severe OSA. Obese adolescents (BMI percentile > 95% for that age and sex based upon the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight classifications), ages 12 to 17 years, referred for full night polysomnography (PSG) have been analyzed. Participants in the study were 166 obese adolescents (105 with and 61 without severe OSA), average age was 14 years and was predominately male (57%) and Hispanic (44%). The regression analysis found that the annual weight change among obese adolescents with severe OSA was significantly higher than those without OSA. For the group with severe OSA, the weight increased by 6.5 kg each year prior to PSG, while for those without PSG, the weight increased by 5.1 kg per year. In obese adolescents, the rate of weight gain over time is an important predictor of severe OSA.