Sleepiness has long been recognized as a presenting symptom in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, but persistent neurocognitive injury from sleep apnea has been appreciated only recently.

Although therapy for sleep apnea markedly improves daytime symptoms, cognitive impairments may persist despite long-term therapy with continuous positive airway pressure.

We know now that certain groups of neurons, typically those that are more metabolically active, are more vulnerable to injury than others. Animal models of sleep apnea oxygenation patterns have been instrumental in elucidating mechanisms of injury.

The hypoxia/reoxygenation events result in oxidative, inflammatory, and endoplasmic reticulum stress responses in susceptible neural groups. With molecular pathways being fleshed out in animal models, it is time to carefully and systematically examine neural injury in humans and test the applicability of findings from animal models.

However, we cannot view sleep apnea as an isolated process. Rather, injury in sleep apnea is more likely the consequence of overlapping injuries from comorbid conditions.

The progress in elucidating mechanisms of neural injury is palpable, and it now seems we  indeed are closer to developing therapies to prevent and treat neural injury in obstructive sleep apnea.

A close relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atherosclerosis has been reported, but it is still discussed controversially whether  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA ) affects vascular function and structure independently. Researcher prospectively investigated the independent impact of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and its treatment on arterial stiffness.

One hundred seventy-two patients with suspected  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were prospectively enrolled in a non-randomized 6-month study to determine whether effective treatment (respiratory events sufficiently reduced and proven compliance) of   obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) would affect vascular function as measured by augmentation index (Aix) and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Additionally, using a nested case–control, we matched 45 pairs of patients with and without  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for gender, age, and hypertension.  Read the rest of this entry

If you are suffering from sleep apnea or or have a family member or friend who suffers from it then you should attend the support group meeting on Monday, March 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Parrish Healthcare Center at Port St. John, 5005 Port St. John Parkway, (east of the I-95 Port St. John exit – see map).

The meetings are held in the Conference Center by the south entrance (near the sleep lab). This is a free community service. Please call 321-268-6408 to register.

The March 7 meeting will include the following:

•Is there an alternative to CPAP therapy? Different treatment options are available for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The right one for you depends upon the severity of your sleep apnea (which is determined from a sleep study), the physical structure of your upper airway, and other aspects of your medical history. Duongvannak Keo, D.M.D., P.A., and physicians from Brevard Ear, Nose, and Throat will discuss dental devices and surgery options. Read the rest of this entry

SleepQuest, Inc., the leading national provider of comprehensive sleep medicine services, announced a 44% increase in 2010 Fourth Quarter earnings over 2009. Growth occurred in all areas of the business, including diagnostics, titration, therapy and ongoing care for patients suffering from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).  

Robert Koenigsberg, President and CEO, said, “2010 was an extraordinary year for SleepQuest as we continued our national expansion and expanded operations.”

The Company has also appointed Gary B. Corbett as Vice-President of Business Strategy and Development. Prior to joining SleepQuest, Mr. Corbett was part of the pioneering management team that founded the first company to provide national OSA diagnostic services.   Read the rest of this entry

An enzyme known to be significantly involved in obstructive sleep apnea, the NADPH oxidase presumably triggers heart damage associated with chemotherapy. With a highly imaginative approach, experts from the Queen’s Centre for Vision and Vascular Science assert that blocking the action of the enzyme can be used to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy and decline the toxic effects of cancer treatment on the heart. The research findings may help reduce heart failure in cancer patients and ultimately improve survival rates. The research was published in the journal Cancer Research.

Understanding the role of this enzyme can supposedly help in offering safer high doses of chemotherapy drugs and making the treatment more effective against tumors. In spite of improved treatments, cancer is possibly responsible for 25 percent of all mortality in the western world. Decreasing the threat for heart failure is apparently linked with chemotherapy and patient survival rates. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder / [ Press Release ] /Over three-quarters of the American population suffer from sleep related problems, mainly snoring. For the partner who doesn’t snore, lack of sleep is just as dangerous on your health as it is on your relationship. Snoring, fatigue, depression, heart disease and high blood pressure are all common side effects of OSA, obstructive sleep apnea. 

This Valentine’s Day, couples across the United States will be indulging their partners with chocolates, wines, and rich dinners. Come bedtime, the combination of alcohol and the compounds in chocolate have stimulating effects. The National Sleep Foundation recommends avoiding chocolate at bedtime, as it is can cause sleep problems. Throw snoring into the mix, and you’ve got an extremely sleepless Valentine’s. 

Snoring is a common sign that you or your partner might have OSA, obstructive sleep Apnea. Common treatment for obstructive sleep Apnea (OSA) includes the CPAP, which blows air into your nose via a nose mask. With much negative consumer feedback, another means of treatment was necessary.  Read the rest of this entry

By Dhong Hun-jong, M.D.

Allergic rhinitis, or AR, is a common disease that is often considered a trivial and temporary illness less severe than asthma. 

However, the disease can bring dramatic changes in the quality of life of the patients, affecting their daily activities. It also results in relatively high medical expenses and financial burden.

According to the National Health Insurance Corporation, 4.1 million people suffer from AR in Korea (2007) and the economic burden is estimated to reach almost $272.92 million.

Allergic symptoms can vary with the season and type of allergen. They include sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, plus itchy eyes and nose. Young patients may also have mouth breathing, snoring and sleep-disordered breathing such as obstructive sleep apnea.

In these patients, upper respiratory infections such as common colds and ear infections are more frequent and last longer. Read the rest of this entry

A recently concluded research study attempted investigating the relationship between migraine and obstructive sleep apnea in the general population.

In this cross-sectional population-based study, a random age and gender stratified sample of 40,000 persons aged 20–80 years residing in Akershus, Hedmark or Oppland County, Norway, were drawn by the National Population Register.

A postal questionnaire containing the Berlin Questionnaire was used to classify respondents to be of either high or low risk of obstructive sleep apnea. 376 persons with high risk and 157 persons with low risk of sleep apnea aged 30–65 years were included for further investigations. Read the rest of this entry

SomnoMed Limited , the world’s leading oral appliance medical company announced today that US government health insurance programs have now recognized an oral appliance treatment as a valid medical treatment option for obstructive sleep apnea and medicare patients in the US will be covered for the oral appliance treatment.

SomnoMed, with its No. 1 sleep apnea appliance SomnoDent(R) MAS, will benefit from this new regulation, as patients can now have a SomnoDent(R) MAS as a first line treatment, without the requirement to “fail” a CPAP treatment.

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ HONG KONG, Feb. 9, 2011 /- Ventus Medical, a privately-held United States based medical device company focused on sleep-disordered breathing, is pleased to announce that its proprietary Provent(R) Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, is now available throughout Hong Kong. The HomeCare Medical Ltd., with over 17 years of sleep medicine experience, will be the exclusive distributor of Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy in Hong Kong.

We believe clinically-proven Provent Therapy offers a unique and convenient alternative to CPAP treatment for the large number of people in Hong Kong currently affected by obstructive sleep apnea,” said Philip Westbrook, M.D., chief medical officer of Ventus Medical and former President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. “Provent has been used effectively in the United States since 2008 and in clinical studies, Provent Therapy increased energy and quality of life while it reduced apnea (breathing disruptions), daytime sleepiness and related snoring. Importantly, Provent is easy to use, portable and discreet for use at home or when travelling.”

In patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the airway collapses during sleep when the muscles that hold it open relax. People with this disorder stop breathing during the night—in some cases hundreds of times each night — usually for periods of ten seconds or longer. Although some people with sleep apnea don’t know they have the condition, they snore and occasionally wake up gasping for air. It is often their sleep partner who is aware of these symptoms and will urge them to go to the doctor. Read the rest of this entry

About a quarter-million people in the Charlotte area are Medicare patients, and many of them have been or will be affected by a new system that significantly limits their provider choices for certain services. Members of Congress, caretakers and patients are already raising red flags, claiming the new system is flawed. 

Marilyn Graham said she is concerned about how well Medicare patients will be able to navigate the new system. She has a condition called sleep apnea and uses a continuous positive airway pressure machine — known as a CPAP machine — to help her breathe at night. 

In mid-January, she accidentally tore the face mask, which pumps oxygen into her lungs. Graham called her provider but was told the business couldn’t help her anymore because it didn’t win a Medicare competitive bidding contract for CPAP machines. Read the rest of this entry