One-fifth of all patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension suffer with the fatal disease for more than two years before being correctly diagnosed and properly treated, according to a new national study led by researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

“For a lot of patients, that means the treatment is more difficult and the damage is irreversible,” said Lynnette Brown, MD, PhD, a pulmonologist and researcher at Intermountain Medical Center and lead author of the study, which is published this week in the July issue of Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

“Finding out which patients are getting a delayed diagnosis is the first step in identifying them earlier, when treatment is easier and hopefully more effective,” she said. Read the rest of this entry

The perfect pillow is the pillow that suits you best’ is the new launch statement for an Australian company that has a developed a unique way of selecting the perfect pillow. No longer is it a guess as to which pillow suits you perfectly and they guarantee it 100%.

Sleeping problems are now recognised as one of the greatest health issue  facing us today with the rise in snoring, sleep apnea and insomnia increasing at an alarming rate. Sleeping is often taken for granted until it no longer happens and an Australian company is doing its part in helping people develop a comfortable sleeping pattern.

Pillows Made to Measure is a company that specialises in pillows and was founded by Dr Andrew Macfarlane D.C, D.O. a Chiropractor and Osteopath with over thirty years of clinical experience dealing with patient’s trying to find the perfect pillow. Read the rest of this entry

Impaired brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is associated with risk for subsequent cardiovascular events in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). These patients often have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We tested the hypothesis that patients with OSA post MI will exhibit more severe impairment in FMD.

Fragmented sleep, loud snoring, debilitating daytime fatigue, low oxygen levels, missed work days, morning headaches and problems remembering and concentrating are among the symptoms of sleep apnea disorder, the most common sleep disorder.

According to estimates there are more than 18 million Americans suffer from the deadly disorder called sleep apnea.

One of the first steps is generally to undergo an overnight sleep evaluation, or “nocturnal polysomnogram.” It is commonly known as overnight sleep study at the sleep center.

Patients spend one night in a special laboratory or a bedroom hooked up to sophisticated computer equipment that monitors heart, lung and brain activity; breathing patterns; arm and leg movements; and blood oxygen levels. The room generally includes soft lighting; a comfortable bed; a quiet, calming atmosphere; television; and other amenities to help the patient sleep.

In some cases, a portable home monitoring device can also be used to track heart rate, blood oxygen level, airflow and breathing patterns. Unfortunately, however, it does not always provide the most effective readings. An overnight, in-center polysomnogram may still be needed.

The annual conference SLEEP 2011 was held this year in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Every year it is the world’s most important SLEEP Dental and SLEEP Medical event. This year over 800 delegates attended the dental sleep conference of the AADSM (American Association of Dental Sleep Medicine) and more than 5,000 delegates joined the medical sleep conference of the APSS (Associated Professional Sleep Societies).

SomnoMed had a strong presence in both events and reported the highest number of leads and  professional contacts on record. It was a very successful event and again underlined the increasing recognition of SomnoMed as the world’s leading company in the Dental Sleep Medical field. Read the rest of this entry

Conditions such as diabetes,  sleep apnea and depression that are well-controlled are “not a terrible risk,”  and people can get life insurance at reasonable rates.

It would be a good idea to shop around if you have a health  condition that makes getting life insurance a challenge.  Insurers have all  developed their own underwriting guidelines, and some are able to offer better  rates for applicants with certain medical conditions.

Guaranteed life insurance is another option if  you’re looking for coverage with no health questions asked and no physicals  required. But the amount of coverage offered is usually quite limited, the  premium will be very high, and if you die within the first year or two, your  loved ones will likely receive only the premiums you’ve paid and any interest  earned. Read the rest of this entry

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today announced agreement (PDF) on important fatigue recommendations that were developed by a joint FAA-NATCA working group which was established under the 2009 collective bargaining agreement.

“The American public must have confidence that our nation’s air traffic controllers are rested and ready to work,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “We have the safest air transportation system in the world but we needed to make changes and we are doing that.”

The agreement reinforces existing FAA policy that prohibits air traffic controllers from sleeping while they are performing assigned duties.  The FAA will continue to provide air traffic controllers breaks on the midnight shift based on staffing and workload.  While on break, air traffic controllers are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be available for recall at all times. Read the rest of this entry

Two-thirds of adults in America — and nearly one-third of children and teenagers — are obese or overweight, and one in 4 New Yorkers is obese, according to an annual obesity report released Thursday by two public health groups.

The latest survey ranks New York 41st on a state-by-state obesity list, improving from a tie for 36th last year. The number of obese adults in New York has edged down to 24.7 percent of the population from 25.1 percent.

Thirty-eight states now have obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1995, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.

In New York, the combined obesity and overweight rate is 60.6 percent, up from 54.1 percent in 2001, the survey found. The diabetes rate has risen to 8.7 percent from 4.7 percent in 1995 and the hypertension rate to 27.1 percent from 22 percent. Read the rest of this entry

San Diego-headquartered medical device manufacturer ResMed has acquired UCD spin-out BiancaMed in an all-cash deal. Original investors including DFJ ePlanet Capital and Enterprise Ireland are believed to receive a significant premium on their €11m investment in the company.

Is your child overtired? Overscheduled?  Overstimulated? Is the home chaotic? Is your child getting enough sleep? Do they have a  routine before going to sleep at night?

It is most important to evaluate sleep problems. The ADHD symptoms could be the result of sleep  apnea or too much stimulation from electronics in general – but especially  before bed. (Electronic light exposure prior to bedtime can decrease melatonin  production, making it harder to fall asleep).

There are also a host of natural alternatives to  stimulants for ADHD. During  the day, kids showing symptoms of ADHD need extra, structured movement to help  normalize energy levels. Such activity can include a regimen of walking daily  for prolonged periods of time.

Parents should also avoid foods that rob the body of  magnesium, like soda and caffeine. It’s a good idea to plan a diet high in natural  magnesium, with at least one serving of a true dark green vegetable, like  spinach, and also a handful of nuts. (For young children, parents can consider  juicing spinach and/or slowly increasing the amount of dark greens in a soup or  introducing fruits juiced with ever increasing amounts of greens).[ Read Complete Post By Dr. Robert Tozzi At Fox News ...   ]

DeVilbiss Healthcare recently sponsored a randomized, double-blind, crossover clinical study which confirmed the effectiveness of DeVilbiss SmartFlex Technology, a new exhalation pressure relief solution to enhance patient comfort.

Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) represents the gold standard in the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). In recent years, pressure modification has become accepted as an important feature improving patients’ comfort and compliance. However, there has been some speculation that excessive pressure relief may compromise the effectiveness of therapy.

The study confirmed SmartFlex Technology to be equally effective to standard Auto-PAP therapy in that respiratory events and oxygen saturation during sleep were normalized among the participants. In addition, treatment with SmartFlex showed a lower leak rate, which likely contributes to the greater subject acceptance rates. As expected, both modalities resulted in improved daytime alertness, but improved daytime energy levels, ability to relax and nocturnal sleep were also demonstrated with SmartFlex Technology. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ July05,2011/ Sleep Group  Solutions (SGS) is pleased to announce the widespread launch of InterpStudies.com, a home sleep  study interpretation portal. Home sleep testing has been among the fastest  growing segments of the sleep and medical market as it is a viable and cost  effective study, similar to the overnight PSG tests done in sleep labs.

Home sleep tests (HST), such as the Embletta  is the same home sleep test device used today in many hospitals, Sleep Disorders Centers, VA  and Kaiser Systems.  These home sleep tests are user friendly, and frequently  administered by primary care physicians, internal medicine physicians, dentists  and other specialties. Since Embletta supplies many sleep labs with sleep study  technology-sleep doctors are familiar with the data and diagnosing is seamless  when studies are uploaded to InterpStudies.com.   Read the rest of this entry

One in five patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in the United States report symptoms for more than 2 years before diagnosis.

PAH is a progressive and fatal disorder, and the disease is often advanced when recognized, especially in younger patients.

Researchers from Intermountain Medical Center, the University of California, University of Pennsylvania, Baylor College of Medicine, Boston University, and Mayo Clinic studied 2,967 adult patients enrolled in the Registry to Evaluate Early Long-term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL), for an 18-month period. In 21.1% of patients, symptoms were experienced for more than two years before PAH was recognized.

History of obstructive airways disease and sleep apnea were independently associated with delayed PAH recognition.  Despite progress in understanding the cellular and genetic basis of PAH, researchers found that the onset of PAH before age 36 years was associated with the greatest likelihood of delayed disease recognition, especially in individuals with histories of common respiratory disorders. This article is published in the July issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians: Chest. 2011;140(1):19-26.

Jeannine Gingras, M.D., a nationally and internationally recognized expert in sleep disorders, has opened Gingras Sleep Medicine in Charlotte and Concord, North Carolina.

Dr. Gingras treats infants, children, teens and adults and practices sleep medicine exclusively. She sees patients for all sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, insomnia, snoring, sleepwalking, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movement disorder, narcolepsy, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Read the rest of this entry