Apnex Medical, Inc., has received CE Mark approval for its Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS®) System for use by people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The system was approved for sale in Europe based on the positive results of two clinical studies conducted in the United States and Australia. In those studies, the majority of patients demonstrated a significant reduction in their obstructive sleep apnea as well as substantial improvements in the quality of their sleep, quality of life, and overall health.

“CE Mark approval is an important confirmation of the substantial benefits that patients receive from our HGNS therapy for obstructive sleep apnea and is a key milestone for our company,” said Chas McKhann, Apnex Medical President and CEO. Read the rest of this entry

(Reuters Health) – New research shows high rates of sleep disorders among veterans of America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or head injuries.

The study conducted at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, found that among some 300 soldiers with PTSD, head injuries or both, more than half had sleep apnea — a serious interruption of breathing during sleep — and nearly half had insomnia.

“Sleep complaints were universal,” wrote Dr. Jacob Collen and his colleagues in their research summary. Collen’s team presented their findings this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Honolulu.

The researchers studied 135 soldiers with PTSD, 116 with traumatic brain injury and 66 with both conditions.

Sleep testing performed on most of the patients found obstructive sleep apnea in 56 percent of them and insomnia in 49 percent. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ Falls Church, Virginia. / Obstructive sleep apnea, caused by narrowing or blockage of the airways when a person is asleep affects about 20% of the population. Typically a person with OSA will begin snoring loudly on falling asleep. If not treated, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can increase a person’s risk of death.  It is not clear whether an enlarged thyroid gland, known as a goiter, can worsen cause or worsen symptoms of OSA by compressing the airway.

Alexandra Reiher, MD, and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, evaluated the impact of goiter on OSA by assessing OSA symptoms such as snoring before and after thyroidectomy to remove all or part of and enlarged thyroid gland. Patients who reported symptoms of OSA included snoring were asked to complete a questionnaire before and 8 weeks after undergoing thyroidectomy. Data presented today at the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association showed significantly fewer patients (51% versus 71%) were considered to be at high risk for OSA following surgical reduction or removal of the thyroid gland. Symptom scores improved substantially after thyroidectomy, including a significant decrease in snoring frequency and lower scores on the question of whether the snoring bothered others.

“Obstructive sleep apnea is obviously a complex problem with numerous causes, but we find it encouraging that thyroidectomy alone can provide significant improvements in nearly a third of patients, regardless of gland size,” said study author Rebecca Sippel, MD, Assistant Professor, Division of General Surgery, and Chief, Section of Endocrine Surgery, at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Read the rest of this entry

Harry Cutler, a sleep apnea patient, has been awarded patent protection in the United Kingdom. The patent protects a medical device created initially to treat Mr. Cutler’s own obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which afflicts from 12% to 25% of the population. The device also reduces or eliminates snoring, one of the primary side effects of OSA. Unlike other oral appliances, it can be used by people with loose teeth, dentures, or no teeth at all, thereby eliminating costly dental preparation. It is being marketed as the “RespireAide Sleep Apnea Solution”.

In this case, necessity was indeed the mother of invention. Underemployed at the time and without insurance, Cutler’s sleep apnea became severe. “I was falling asleep while driving to work, in the middle of the day! I had to do something,” said Cutler.

He researched the condition and began to fashion a solution mostly from items found around the house or purchased from the local hardware and sporting goods stores. “The initial device was somewhat crude, but it did help. Over the following six years, using myself as a test subject, I refined and improved the device with the goal of creating an acceptable combination of comfort and effectiveness. The resultant device bears little resemblance to the original,” he added. Read the rest of this entry

Clayton Sleep Institute (CSI), in partnership with Sleep Review magazine hosts the 9th Annual Updates in Sleep Medicine 2011. The conference takes place in St. Louis, Mo. at the Four Seasons Hotel beginning on Friday, November 4 and continuing until 12:30 CST on November 5. The annual meeting offers premiere medical and scientific presentations by leaders in sleep medicine on the current trends and latest developments.

Each year, the event attracts sleep specialists, primary care physicians, specialty physicians, nurses, respiratory care practitioners and residents in training from across the United States. The following topics will be covered at this year’s conference:

Managing Circadian Rhythms: Diagnosis and Treatment: this presentation will be given by Mark J. Muehlbach, Ph.D. Dr. Muehlbach is the Clinical Director of the The Clinics at Clayton Sleep Institute. The presentation will help audience members both become familiar with circadian rhythms and identify factors contributing to disruptions in circadian rhythms. Read the rest of this entry

Ventus Medical  revealed the results of a large, long-term study of its proprietary Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), were published in the November 2011 issue of the  Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, an official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Reportlinker.com announced its new market research report “Global Sleep Apnea Diagnostic And Therapeutic Devices Industry ”

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Sleep Apnea Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices in US$ Million by the following Product Segments: Diagnostic Devices (Fixed PSG, Ambulatory PSG, & Others (include Screening Devices)), and Therapeutic Devices (CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, Auto PAP, & Facial Interfaces (Masks and Humidifiers)).

The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Japan, Europe, and Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2007 through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets.

The report profiles 57 companies including many key and niche players worldwide such as Astro-Med Inc., Grass Technologies, Cadwell Laboratories, Inc., CareFusion Corporation, Compumedics Ltd., DeVilbiss Healthcare, Embla Systems, evo Medical Solutions, Inc., Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Limited, Itamar Medical Ltd., Invacare Corporation, Natus Medical Inc., Bio-Logic, Stellate Systems, Inc., Philips Healthcare, ResMed Inc., Teleflex Medical, Vital Signs Inc., and Weinmann Geräte für Medizin GmbH+CCo. KG. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research.

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes,  Sleep Apnea remains a growing health concern with an estimated 18 million  Americans suffering.  Sleep Group Solutions offers home sleep testing (HST)  devices (and interpretation), which have become a popular way to allow the  sufferer to get tested in the privacy of their own home, no over night stay in a  sleep lab needed.  The results are easily uploaded by the physician/practitioner  to InterpStudies.com for a quick diagnosis  of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea).

Historically, an overnight sleep study in a sleep lab was the only way to  obtain a diagnosis of OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea).  Recent advancements in  technology has made its way directly into the consumers hands, creating an  increase in sleep apnea diagnosis.  Read the rest of this entry

About one quarter of adults snore regularly. Almost half of normal adults snore occasionally. Men snore more than women. And snoring usually gets worse as we get older.As you fall asleep, your tongue, throat and the roof of your mouth relax. If they relax too much, they may partially block the flow of air to your lungs. Then the tissue at the back of your mouth vibrates, creating the sound of logs being sawed. As the airway narrows, the vibration intensifies and the snoring gets louder.

Common Causes Of Snoring

1. A soft palate that is long and low restricts the opening from the nose into the throat. That triangular thingy hanging in the back of the palate is called a “uvula.” If your uvula is long, that creates wood-sawing, too.
2. Overweight people have bulky neck tissue. Extra bulk in the throat narrows your airway.  Read the rest of this entry

Losing weight reduces the risk factors for many diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. Shedding just 10 pounds, for example, can lower blood pressure. Weight loss also lowers blood sugar and improves cholesterol levels.

Now, it looks like a new benefit can be added to the list. Losing weight can reduce urinary incontinence in women who are overweight or obese. In a randomized trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, moderate weight loss in a group of heavy women who undertook a six-month diet and exercise program cut the frequency of urinary incontinence episodes by nearly a half.

Urinary incontinence affects more than 13 million women in the United States. It not only causes inconvenience and emotional stress, it also raises the risk of falls, fractures, and nursing home admissions. Obesity has long been associated with urinary leakage in women, but until now, there’s been little research to confirm that losing weight would help reverse the problem — or to suggest how much weight loss would be needed. Read the rest of this entry

The American Sleep Apnea Association has recognized CPAP or Continuous Positive Air Pressure as one of the most effective and reliable therapeutic options for the management of mild to moderate sleep apnea. For restoration of normal breathing, choosing the best mask for CPAP is the most critical concern area, especially for patients who are put on this therapy for the first time.

It involves pumping in pre-measured pressurized air directly in to the lungs. One of the most important components of the equipment set is the mask, also known as the sleep apnea masks, since they carry the pressurized air into the lungs generated by the machine.

Reasons why this component should be purchased carefully

- Comfort and ease of use of the item is of paramount importance. Any discomfort can mean discontinuation of therapy.

- Air leakage can mar the efficacy of the therapy. Therefore the item should be bought only after seriously considering various aspects of usage. This is the only way the user can continue with the therapy and enjoy the benefits. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [  Press Release  ]/ Versailles, Ohio /October 17, 2011/ Sleep Apnea: A Growing Health Concern According to the National Institute  of Neurological Disorders and Strokes, an estimated 18 million Americans have  sleep apnea. However, few of them have had the problem diagnosed.

Sleep apnea is the repeated interruption of normal breathing during sleep.  Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common type of breathing-related sleep disorder. In patients with OSA, the airway collapses, temporarily restricting  airflow to the lungs. This partial airway obstruction causes the upper airway  tissue to vibrate and produce the sound of the classic snore.

As OSA develops, it has a cumulative effect, meaning that the longer the  disease goes untreated, the greater the negative side effects and associated  health risks. According to numerous  research studies, if sleep apnea remains untreated, other health conditions  may emerge or current health problems may worsen, including: Read the rest of this entry

Snoring is among the common sleep problems in adults, especially in middle-aged men. And children and kids are equally prone to this most uncomfortable sleep disorder.The effects of snoring upon the overall health of children is established to be detrimental up to great extent.

Association of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA among kids and children has now become a more common occurrence. Across the globe occurrence of persistent snoring on most nights has been reported in 8-12 percent of children.

The incidence of OSA (with significant upper airway obstruction leading to   oxygen desaturation and/or sleep fragmentation) is 2-3 percent in children under the age of 10. Read the rest of this entry

GLOBAL Doctor’s Specialist Centre in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, now offers its first Sleep Apnea Clinic offering sleep diagnostic testing with the Philips Alice 5 Diagnostic Sleep System, a fully-integrated sleep laboratory system. The launch of the clinic highlights Philips and Global Doctors’ commitment to improving the awareness of common sleep disorders, such as Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in Malaysia.Nearly 7% of the adult population or 1.9 million people in Malaysia are affected by Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).According to the findings of attitudinal study of Malaysians’ perceptions of their health and well-being, the Philips Index, suggested that 17% of Malaysians do not get enough sleep. The study results also revealed that their perceived lack of sleep negatively impacted on how they felt about their physihecal and mental health. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea generally causes obstructive breathing in the middle of the night for more than 12 million Americans. Fatigue, high blood pressure and weight gain are just a few of its symptoms.

Several researches concluded during recent past have established that sleep apnea can be a drain on intimacy, causing erectile dysfunction in men and loss of libido in women.

Scientists suspect this may have to do with sex hormones like testosterone, which rise with sleep and fall when there is a lack of it. Because it causes intermittent waking and chronic sleep deprivation, apnea may directly drive down levels of these hormones, causing sexual dysfunction. Read the rest of this entry