WideMed Ltd.  has obtained EU CE Mark for its mobile sleep apnea system Morpheus Ox for home use. The system is based on a device made by Nonin Medical Inc. and WideMed’s mobile application and Morpheus platform for monitoring sleep apnea.

The device’s interface receives photoplethysmography (PPH) signals, which are collated by an application developed by the company for mobile telephones.

The Morpheus Ox system can monitor, measure, and analyze snores and send accurate data to a physician about the patient’s respiration, sleep apnea, oxygen levels, and heartbeat during the night.

WideMed said that it plans to begin marketing the Morpheus Ox system in Europe and the Far East during the fourth quarter, and that it undergoing regulatory procedures with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the device for marketing in the US.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) during sleep occurs at a relatively low frequency and the pathogenic background remains uncertain. The aim of a recently concluded study was to determine the significance of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and excess visceral fat with nocturnal dysregulation of adipocytokines in night-time onset of ACS.

SDB, visceral fat area (VFA), and changes in circulating adipocytokine levels were assessed in 109 consecutive patients with ACS. SDB and VFA were assessed by cardiorespiratory monitoring and computed tomographic scan, respectively. Read the rest of this entry

Good night’s sleep is important for numerous health benefits. The best position is to sleep on your back, according to a new study.

It prevents neck and back pain, reduces acid reflux and minimizes wrinkles. Sleeping on your back makes it easy for your head, neck and spine to maintain a neutral position.

However, people with severe snoring or sleep apnea should avoid sleeping on their back. This position is recommended for people with neck pain along with a cervical roll or pillow.

The next best position is the side position. This position is great for your overall health. It prevents neck and back pain, reduces acid reflux and reduces snoring. This position is ideal for women who are pregnant. Women in late pregnancy should sleep on their left side to increase blood flow to the baby. Side sleeping keeps your spine elongated preventing back soreness. Read the rest of this entry

The Aviisha Medical Institute, LLC is making headway in the battle against sleep apnea as physician groups continue to join its MD Home Sleep Program at a record pace. The program equips physicians with the knowledge and tools to diagnose and treat sleep apnea without resorting to costly lab testing.

The surge in group signups has helped Aviisha, the national leader in home sleep testing, reach more sleep apnea patients than ever before. “We’re seeing a remarkable number of patients getting treated thanks to the collective effort of our physicians,” said Dr. Avi Ishaaya, the cofounder and Medical Director of Aviisha. “Only 10-20% of sufferers are diagnosed despite the fact that untreated sleep apnea has such devastating health consequences.” Sleep apnea has been linked to increased risk of stroke, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, obesity, sexual dysfunctional, depression, loss of motivation, and chronic fatigue.”

The groups come from a variety of states and comprise numerous specialties.

Aviisha’s MD Home Sleep Program Read the rest of this entry

The most effective treatment for the nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, according to a new report.

A CPAP machine pumps air through a mask while the patient sleeps. This treatment is highly effective in improving sleep and reducing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to the review of available evidence.

However, side effects such as dry nose and mouth, nosebleeds, chest discomfort and feeling trapped can cause patients to abandon CPAP treatment, noted the authors of the report, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

One expert called the report’s findings “valuable.” Read the rest of this entry

The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are quickly reversed when the therapy is withdrawn, according to Swiss research. The findings appear online in the articles-in-press section of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“In patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are established on CPAP treatment, withdrawal of the therapy is associated with a rapid recurrence of OSA and sleepiness within a few days” said Malcolm Kohler, MD, senior consultant at the Sleep Disorders Centre and Pulmonary Division of the University Hospital in Zurich. “After 14 days of CPAP withdrawal, OSA patients experienced considerable increases in heart rate and blood pressure as well as a deterioration in vascular function.” Read the rest of this entry

A recent poll conducted by the Centers  for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Oklahoma the fourth sleepiest  state in the country.  It’s a huge problem. About 30 percent of Americans report having difficulty  falling or staying asleep, while some 10 percent have chronic insomnia.  According to the CDC poll, 14.3 percent of Oklahoma adults report they’re not  getting enough sleep. West  Virginia leads the country at 19.3 percent, followed by Tennessee  at 14.8 percent and Kentucky,  14.4 percent. Insufficient sleep can result in moodiness, irritability and  increased risk for auto and workplace accidents.

 In order to get better sleep  try to go to bed and get up about the same times every day, eat well and avoid  late-night meals, exercise regularly and finally, maintain a cool, dark and  quiet bedroom without distractions such as television or work  projects.

There are other ways to prevent sleep apnea without having to wear anything while you sleep. By maintaining a healthy body weight you can help reduce some of the constriction on your throat. You can help to prevent sleep apnea from developing in the first place by doing your best to maintain a healthy weight. If you consume alcohol or take certain medications before you go to bed, this could be triggering sleep apnea or make it worse. Your sleep position is also important with sleep apnea – try to sleep on your side. Sleeping on your back can increase snoring. Also, lifestyle changes come into play; if you smoke, stopping can help prevent this disorder. Staying fit and exercising can also help preventing.

Former USC football star Petro Papadakis, who currently hosts the KLAC AM 570 afternoon radio show, announced that he had received successful treatment for sleep apnea and snoring from Dr. Jonathan Greenburg.  Dr. Greenburg fitted Papadakis with a patent-pending appliance that is customized to each person’s mouth and tongue.   Papadakis commented, “It’s been a great alternative to the CPAP for me.  Dr. Greenburg is an innovator and visionary and his Snore No More Device enables me to sleep on planes and at my house without disturbing the peace.  The dental device opens your airway just like the CPAP and is much less cumbersome.“

Dr.Greenburg commented, “Petros is one of many sleep apnea or snoring sufferers who find the CPAP machine uncomfortable and too difficult to use.  Our custom fitted oral appliance treatment program gently repositions the tongue away from the airway at night and is ideal for patients like him who are either CPAP intolerant or travel often and wish to not have to take a CPAP machine with them.” Read the rest of this entry

Wearing compression stockings could be an effective and cheap way to help people suffering with a common sleep disorder, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Brescia in Italy, found that wearing flight socks during the day reduced the symptoms of  sleep apnea among sufferers at night.

Around four per cent of men and two per cent of women in the UK have the condition that  interrupts breathing at night for ten seconds at a time.It can leave sufferers feeling exhausted as  the body reacts to obstructed airways by going from a state of deep sleep to  lighter rest.There are few effective treatments available  for the condition, which is particularly prevalent among the overweight and  over-65s. Many refuse to use available airway machines  as they require wearing a mask all night. Read the rest of this entry

According to research presented at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of  the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), the  apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients with severe obstructive sleep  apnea (OSA) was more improved by a combination treatment of a mandibular  advancement splint (MAS) and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy  than by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy alone.

Results show that without lowering the pressure substantially, CPAP  tolerance can be improved and severe OSA can be effectively treated  using a MAS that physically supports and stabilizes the position of  nasal pillows (TAP-PAP). Read the rest of this entry

A multidisciplinary clinical practice guideline, “Polysomnography for  Sleep-Disordered Breathing Prior to Tonsillectomy in Children“, was  published as a supplement to the July issue of Otolaryngology—Head  and Neck Surgery. This guideline provides otolaryngologists with  evidence-based recommendations for using polysomnography in assessing  children, aged 2 to 18 years, with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and  who are candidates for tonsillectomy, with or without adenoidectomy.

Polysomnography (PSG) is presently the gold standard for diagnosing  and quantifying sleep-disordered breathing in children. SDB affects  approximately 12% of children with manifestations ranging from simple  snoring to potentially serious conditions, including sleep apnea. SDB is  also the most common indication for tonsillectomy with or without  adenoidectomy in the United States. Since more than 530,000  tonsillectomies are performed annually on children younger than the age  of 15, primarily for SDB, clear and actionable guidance on optimal use  of PSG is strongly needed. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 2, 2011 /- Apnex Medical, Inc., received investigational device exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of its Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS®) System to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Data from this clinical study are intended to support the Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application for the HGNS System to the FDA.“Many patients who suffer from OSA are unable to tolerate existing therapies such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The HGNS System provides a fundamentally new approach to the treatment of OSA. This study will help us further understand the potential role this device will have in treating the millions of people who suffer from OSA,” said the study’s co-principal investigator, Dr. Atul Malhotra, Clinical Chief, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Read the rest of this entry

The researchers investigated whether sleep quantity and quality were related to 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and cardiovascular reactivity  in children.

Researchers studied term-born, healthy 8.0-year olds (SD: 1.4 years) without sleep-disordered breathing (231 and 265 children provided valid data for analyses of ambulatory blood pressure and cardiovascular reactivity, respectively). Sleep was registered with an actigraph for 6 nights on average (SD: 1.2; range: 3 to 13 nights). Ambulatory blood pressure was measured for 24-hours (41% nonschool days) with an oscillometric device.

The children underwent the Trier Social Stress Test for Children, during which blood pressure, electrocardiography, and thoracic impedance were recorded and processed offline to give measures of cardiovascular and autonomic function.

Neither quantity nor quality of sleep was related to 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure or cardiovascular reactivity after accounting for major covariates (sex, age, height, body mass index, and parental education). Although lower sympathetic nervous system activation and higher cardiac activation under stress were found in the group of  children who slept for short duration when they were compared with the average sleep duration group, these associations were not significant after correction for multiple testing and were not seen in linear regression models of the effects of sleep duration.

These findings do not support the mainstream of epidemiological findings, derived from samples more heterogeneous in age, sociodemographic characteristics, and health, suggesting that poor sleep is associated with an unhealthy cardiovascular phenotype.