For patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea, three months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is associated with reduced blood pressure, and partial reversal of metabolic abnormalities, according to a study published in the Dec. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Surendra K. Sharma, M.D., Ph.D., from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, and colleagues investigated the effects of CPAP treatment on metabolic syndrome in 86 patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. Patients were assigned to real or sham CPAP for three months, followed by a washout period of one month, and then a crossover to the other intervention for three months. Anthropometric variables, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profile, insulin resistance, glycated hemoglobin levels, carotid intima-media thickness, and visceral fat were measured before and after each intervention. Read the rest of this entry

Wanda Lindsay, a woman from Texas woman has made her life’s mission to create awareness among the drivers for sleep apnea and various other sleep-related problems traveling America’s highways.

Wanda Lindsay lost her husband a year ago in an accident when his car was struck by a trucker suffering from sleep apnea. John and Wanda Lindsay were traveling from New Braunfels, Texas to Kentucky to visit family. They were stopped in a line of traffic near a construction zone in Texarkana, Texas when a Celedon tractor trailer slammed into the rear of their car. The accident was fatal and John Lindsay lost his life from the injuries in the accident.

“John was a devoted husband and father, he wanted nothing more than to spent his time doing things for his children and for his grandchildren,” said Wanda Lindsay.  Read the rest of this entry

The Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee and  the Medical Review Board of the FMCSA held a joint  public meeting in Alexandria, VA, to discuss guidance for medical examiners  to identify commercial drivers with a high pre-test probability of having  Obstructive Sleep Apnea, define conditional certification, and what constitutes  immediate disqualification. “These recommendations are a step in the right  direction,” commented Richard Thiel, Director of Making Sleep Work For You?, a  nationwide sleep disorder program, “both entities recognize how OSA is an issue  in the industry, and are taking steps to not only address it, but also give  clear guidelines to all stakeholders involved.”

Subcommittees of each group working together will meet in January to draft  more detailed recommendations to the FMCSA, and another joint meeting of these  entities will take place in February 2012 to finalize the detailed  recommendations. A public comment period will also be available before the FMCSA  issues these recommendations as final guidance. Read the rest of this entry

In a shrewd execution of its business plan and growth strategy, Craig Sizer,  Co-founder and Chairman, with Keith Houlihan, Co-founder and President of Sanomedics International Holdings  Inc. announced the signing of a letter of  intent to acquire a strategically targeted durable medical equipment (DME)  provider with a platform in sleep apnea treatment services.  The targeted  acquisition is accredited by the “Healthcare Quality Association.” The operation  with approximately $6 million in revenues and over $1 million in (EBITDA)  earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization is expected to  close in early 2012 upon the completion of due diligence and Sanomedics board  approval.

“The acquisition of a sleep treatment service based operations is an  important step in the growth of Sanomedics,  as well as for the distribution and sales expansion of our ThermoMedics line of non-contact clinical thermometers,”  said Craig Sizer Chairman and Co-founder. Read the rest of this entry

The Doctors Health Press, a publisher of various natural health newsletters books and reports, including the popular online Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin, is lending its support to a new study that has found combining a Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity could help you improve your night time rest.

As reported in the Doctors Health Press e-Bulletin on Thursday, December 8, 2011, the study looked at how the Mediterranean diet could help obese adults with sleep apnea compared to those with a typical diet.

This health condition causes frequent pauses of breathing to occur during sleep. It can be dangerous over the long term, and is one of the most prevalent sleep-related breathing disorders. Two to four out of every 100 adults experience sleep apnea. But that rises 20% to 40% among obese individuals. Read the rest of this entry

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have identified an intracellular signaling enzyme that regulates the wake-sleep cycle, which could help lead to the development of more effective sleep aid medications. Subimal Datta, PhD, director and principal investigator at the Laboratory of Sleep and Cognitive Neuroscience at BUSM, led the study, which points to a specific enzyme inside neurons in the brain that trigger an important shift in consciousness from sleep to wakefulness and wakefulness to sleep.

The results are published in the November 23 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Center’s Newport Beach office will open on January 9, 2012.The Snoring Center, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, announced its second California location, in Newport Beach.

“Healthy, restorative sleep is essential to physical and emotional well being. Snoring and sleep apnea are among the most common sleep disorders, interrupting sleep for literally millions of Americans. The Snoring Center’s innovative approach and progressive treatment options have helped people from around the world get a more peaceful night’s sleep. The opening of another center on the west coast gives more people convenient access to the minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment they need”,said Dr.Sharen Jeffries, the Medical Director of the Newport Beach office. Read the rest of this entry

Gone are the days of an unaffordable oral appliance used to treat the deadly disorder Sleep Apnea.  With over 18 million Americans affected by Obstructive  Sleep Apnea (OSA), it was only a matter of time the market demanded an  affordable and effective oral appliance to treat sleep apnea.  Respire Medical, a Brooklyn based oral  appliance company teamed up with Gergen’s  Orthodontic Lab to provide a significantly less expensive solution to the  worlds Sleep Apnea sufferers.  Dentists can now attend a dental continuing education course  offered by Sleep Group Solutions to learn more the Respire Blue Series and offer an  affordable option.

“As we continue to grow we would like to welcome all of our new clients and  wish them much success in their treatment of OSA with our Respire devices.”   says David Walton, co-creator of the Respire Blue Series.  “Now that we have  been added to the list of Medicare approved devices by the PDAC board, our  Respire Blue Series device is available to more people.”  With a price point  that’s affordable, Respire Medical offers the best value for money across the  market, hands down. Read the rest of this entry

The Snoring Center, the nation’s leading provider of minimally invasive, office-based treatment for snoring and sleep apnea, including the Pillar Procedure from Medtronic, announced the addition of a Gulf Coast center to open January 6.

“We continue to find innovative professionals like Dr. Weiss to join our team and help achieve our mission to change the way people think about snoring and other sleep-related disorders”

Dr. Ray Weiss, a Board Certified Otolaryngologist, will serve as Medical Director of the Snoring Center’s Ocean Spring location, serving patients along the Gulf Coast, from Mobile, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana.

“I am proud to be able to bring relief to patients with the support of The Snoring Center,” said Dr. Weiss. “We are working to improve quality  of life for patients all over the world. Continuing to expand The Snoring Center team into new markets allows ease of access for the men and women seeking minimally invasive, office-based snoring and sleep apnea treatment, and I am glad to be a part of it.” Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea is a dangerous problem that can lead to heart attacks, strokes, excessive daytime sleepiness, short-term memory loss and increases in motor vehicle accidents. It is essential to diagnose and treat sleep apnea. One study showed a 36% decrease in 8 year survival comparing treated and untreated sleep apnea.

A problem frequently experienced is that the cost of health, life and disability insurance policies can increase exponentially following diagnosis of sleep apnea. This is problematic for owners of small businesses and wealthy individuals who utilize life insurance to protect their estates. Read the rest of this entry

Roughly 35 to 40 per cent of UAE residents have suffered from a sleep disorder at some point in their life. Many of the cases are related to Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which interrupts normal breathing during sleep. The problem seems to get worse with another rising health threat in the UAE; obesity.

“Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) is a very common, serious, and unfortunately misdiagnosed condition,” says Dr. Amro Alastal, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Consultant, American Hospital Dubai. “In the UAE and wider GCC, OSA affects around 4 to 5 per cent of the population. This is an estimate based on the number of patients we see in our practice, but the definite number is still debatable as population-based studies are still lacking.” Read the rest of this entry

Henry Schein Inc., the largest provider of health care products and services to office-based practitioners, today announced the launch of its Sleep Complete™ program, a new integrated comprehensive solution that provides all of the information and products necessary for the successful implementation of dental sleep medicine into the dental practice. A key component of this package will be Itamar-Medical’s WatchPAT home test device for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea.The Sleep Complete package will be offered to dentists through a bundled financing package which should significantly lower the financial barrier to entry that often faces dentists interested in incorporating sleep medicine into their practice. Read the rest of this entry

Disturbing forecasts have prompted the Aviisha Medical Institute, LLC to  release a free guide to sleep apnea. A new study published in the Lancet  predicts that by 2030, 164 million Americans will suffer from obesity.

Given  obesity’s high correlation with sleep apnea, experts are beginning to brace for  an obesity-sleep apnea epidemic of epic proportions.

Current estimates predict that 1 in every 5 Americans suffers from mild sleep  apnea and 1 in every 15 from moderate sleep apnea or worse. These numbers are  expected to climb in coming years, and yet most sleep apnea sufferers have no  idea they have the condition.

“Studies estimate that between 80 and 90% of sufferers are undiagnosed and  need treatment,” said Dr. Avi Ishaaya, a sleep boarded physician and Medical  Director of the Aviisha Medical Institute, LLC.

“This is a serious problem when  you consider how untreated sleep apnea can devastate the cardiovascular system  and damage a person’s quality of life.” Sleep apnea has been linked to stroke,  heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, depression, erectile dysfunction, memory  loss, and more. Read the rest of this entry

People with obstructive sleep apnea are more likely to stick to prescribed treatment when a partner or parent is involved with their treatment, according to a team of sleep researchers.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the upper airway collapses during sleep. It is the most common type of sleep-disordered breathing, and chances of it occurring become more elevated in obese people.

The first line of treatment for sleep apnea is a non-invasive in-home treatment called CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure therapy. However, if patients do not use the equipment properly, or at all, it cannot help. Read the rest of this entry

Graymark Healthcare, Inc. the nation’s second largest provider of diagnostic sleep services and an innovator in comprehensive care for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), has partnered with Spencer Hospital of Spencer, Iowa to offer comprehensive sleep medicine services to city residents and the surrounding areas.

The agreement represents Graymark’s 100th sleep laboratory nationwide, consisting of 24 standalone or IDTF facilities in large communities and 76 hospital or rural outreach locations. Spencer Hospital increases the total number of new hospital partnership contracts for Graymark to 14 so far in 2011, compared to 11 total partnerships signed in all of 2010. Read the rest of this entry