The nighttime twitching of restless legs syndrome may be more than an annoyance: New research suggests that in some people, it could be a sign of hidden heart problems.

People with very frequent leg movements during sleep were more likely to have thick hearts — a condition that makes them more prone to cardiac problems, stroke and death, the study by Mayo Clinic doctors found.

“We are not saying there is a cause-and-effect relationship,” just that restless legs might be a sign of heart trouble that doctors and patients should consider, said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a heart rhythm specialist at the Mayo Clinic Arizona in Scottsdale. He led the study and gave results Sunday at an American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans.

Restless legs syndrome is thought to afflict millions, though there’s argument about just how many. Some doctors think its seriousness has been exaggerated, possibly to help sell treatments. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ Minneapolis, MN/ April 04, 2011/- Through April 30, 2011, Somnetics, LLC is partnering with participating  medical equipment dealers to offer sleep apnea  patients a chance to try the Transcend Sleep Apnea Therapy System through a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Virtually unheard of in the CPAP industry, sleep apnea patients will be able  to test-drive Transcend for 30 days before committing to the purchase of the  CPAP.  If customers are unsatisfied with Transcend for any reason, they may  return Transcend to the dealer from which they purchased it within 30 days of  the original purchase date for a full refund. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ BELMONT, Calif., April 4, 2011 / — Ventus Medical, Inc. today reported positive results from a 19 center clinical trial using its FDA-cleared Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy device to treat obstructive sleep apnea. Provent Therapy uses the patient’s own breathing to create expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to keep the airway open during sleep. The full results of this three month study were published in the April 2011 issue of the peer-reviewed medical journal SLEEP, an official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

“This randomized, sham-controlled study demonstrates that Provent Therapy significantly improves the apnea hypopnea index (AHI), a scale to measure the number of breathing interruptions or stoppages per hour of sleep, as well as subjective sleepiness, as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea,” said study author Richard B. Berry, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine, medical director of the University of Florida and Shands Sleep Disorders Center, and former president of the American Sleep Medicine Foundation. “Importantly, self-reported patient adherence on Provent Therapy was almost 90 percent.” Read the rest of this entry

In a recently concluded two-phase randomized clinical trial comparing two approaches to maintaining weight loss following guided weight loss researchers found inter-relationship of sleep and stress. Phase I provided a nonrandomized intensive 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention to 472 obese (body mass index 30–50) adult participants. Phase II is the randomized weight loss maintenance portion of the study. This research focuses on aspects of sleep, screen time, depression and stress.

The Phase I intervention consisted of 22 group sessions led over 26 weeks by behavioral counselors. Recommendations included reducing dietary intake by 500 calories per day, adopting the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern and increasing physical exercise to at least 180?min per week. Measures reported here are sleep time, insomnia, screen time, depression and stress at entry and post-weight loss intervention follow-up. Read the rest of this entry

Flower Dental, a clinic with advanced training in cosmetic dentistry, estorations and preventive care, announced an effective treatment for sleep disorders such as snoring and sleep apnea. Understanding that many people suffering from sleep disorders wear a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device and feel uncomfortable while sleeping, Flower Dental has started offering a new mouthpiece.This unique mouthpiece can keep the mouth and jaws in the correct position to ensure proper airflow, thus facilitating easy breathing and reliable relief from sleep apnea and snoring. The mouthpiece can also help prevent heart diseases, diabetes, high BP, stroke, depression, impotence and even chances of memory loss – conditions that are exacerbated by regular oxygen deprivation. All of the anti-snoring mouthpieces offered by Flower Dental are customized to suit individual requisites and are comfortable and affordable. Read the rest of this entry

Neurologists  specialize in the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain,  spinal cord and nervous systems. In many cases, says UC Health  neurologist Jennifer Rose Molano, MD, these problems are closely  associated with sleep issues.

“I think that the field of  neurology in general is becoming more cognizant of the interplay between  sleep and neurological issues,” says Molano, an assistant professor in  the University of Cincinnati (UC) Department of Neurology and a member  of the medical staff at UC Health Surgical Hospital’s Sleep Medicine  Center in West Chester.

“Insomnia, for example, is very common  and often can be seen in those with a neurological problem,” notes  Molano. “A lack of sleep can also trigger worsening of conditions that  neurologists frequently see, such as headaches and seizures.” Read the rest of this entry

Myotronics, Inc. announces the immediate release of a new Sleep Apnea brochure for the dental office to educate patients on the signs and symptoms of sleep apnea as well as the dangers of not treating this condition.

Patients often aren’t aware that their dental professional may be able to provide treatment for sleep apnea through new oral appliances. This brochure aims to educate the patient on this topic as well as provide insight on various treatment options provided by the medical and dental community.

While just about everyone knows someone who snores, few understand that snoring can be an indication of a serious health problem. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea, a stoppage of breathing during sleep. Every apnea or ‘event’ of decreased oxygen intake, causes the brain to send a signal to rouse the body in an effort to resume breathing. This results in a low quality of sleep, producing daytime fatigue, irritability, and a whole host of other maladies. Gone untreated, sleep apnea may contribute to high blood pressure, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

The topic of sleep apnea has created much buzz in the public as of late. It has been a frequently discussed topic on many health forums and media outlets. The full color pamphlet, complete with graphics to illustrate this important message, addresses a whole host of questions surrounding this condition.

To learn more, please visit http://www.myotronics.com.

A recently concluded research study published in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP indicates that overall risk of death is more than two times higher in older adults who have sleep apnea and report struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness.

Results of adjusted proportional hazards modeling show that older adults with moderate to severe sleep apnea who reported struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness at baseline were more than twice as likely to die (hazard ratio = 2.28) as subjects who had neither problem.  The risk of death was insignificant in older adults with only excessive daytime sleepiness (HR = 1.11) or sleep apnea (HR = 0.74).

Participants had a mean age of 78 years at baseline, and about 55 percent (n = 160) died during an average follow-up period of 14 years.

“Excessive daytime sleepiness, when associated with sleep apnea, can significantly increase the risk of death in older adults,” said principal investigator and lead author Dr. Nalaka S. Gooneratne, assistant professor of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pa.  “We did not find that being sleepy in and of itself was a risk.  Instead, the risk of increased mortality only seemed to occur when sleep apnea was also present.” Read the rest of this entry

The Pillar Procedure helps you stop snoring or reduce your snoring.  The Pillar Procedure from Medtronic is a new way to tackle the global health problems related with sleep disorders like sleep apnea and snoring especially.

During the Pillar Procedure, a doctor places three tiny woven implants, which look like tiny soft pillars, into the soft palate using a sterile delivery tool. Over time, the implants, together with the body’s natural fibrotic response, add structural support to stiffen the soft palate and reduce the tissue vibration that can cause snoring. The implants also help reduce the tissue collapse that can obstruct the upper airway and cause obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Read the rest of this entry