According to a research study results that appeared in the September issue of the journal Pediatrics, in the last 30 years, the prevalence of obesity in children has tripled, leading to children developing adult medical problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea.

“The California study gives us hope that while the childhood obesity epidemic is severe, we are seeing a decline in certain populations,” said Dr. Ashley Weedn, an OU researcher and clinical assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma’s Health Sciences Center. “It gives us hope that we can make a difference in Oklahoma too.”. Read the rest of this entry

The estrogen-like compounds found in soy could help postmenopausal women get a better night’s sleep, according to a small study.

These compounds, isoflavones, have been tested for a number of menopausal symptoms as well as for treating health problems that become more common after menopause, such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and increased body fat. But so far, results have been disappointing.

Insomnia is very common in older women, Dr. Helena Hachul of the Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo and her colleagues write in the journal Menopause. Studies of whether hormone therapy helps with sleep problems have had mixed results, they add. Read the rest of this entry

If you’re sleeping less than five hours or more than nine hours, you could be putting yourself at an increased risk for heart disease, according to a study conducted by researchers at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

The study, conducted by Anoop Shankar, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Community Medicine, examined more than 30,000 adults who participated in the 2005 National Health Interview Survey. Dr. Shankar and his colleagues found both short and long sleep durations to be independently associated with heart disease. The results were adjusted for age, sex, race-ethnicity, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. Read the rest of this entry

ResMed Inc recorded record revenue and income for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, driven by strong sales of the S9 AutoSet and Elite products, and robust mask sales.

“In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, we continued to show strong growth year-over-year in the Americas, as well as in international markets,” said Kieran T. Gallahue, president and CEO. “Our favorable mix of product sales and market share gains led to a 20% revenue increase in the Americas over the prior year’s quarter, resulting in $160.9 million in sales. Read the rest of this entry

The prevalence of obesity,sleep apnea, and the metabolic syndrome is rapidly increasing in India and other south Asian countries, leading to increased morbidity and mortality due to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). 

The literature search has been carried out using the key words “insulin resistance, the metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, diabetes, obesity, Asian Indians, and South Asians” in the medical search engine Pubmed (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD) from 1966 to September 2009. Read the rest of this entry

Department of Surgical Gastroenterology at Manipal Hospital, Bangalore inaugurated Bariatric Surgery Services, a comprehensive programme for bariatric surgery. This distinctive programme offers pre-operative education, state of the art surgical facility and post operative support.

The benefits of bariatric surgery have been carefully studied and it is recommended for patients with a body mass index of 37.5 Kg/m2 or those with a BMI above 32.5 Kg/m2 with co-morbidities. Bariatric surgery not only causes a significant and sustained weight loss but a significant improvement of co-morbidities. Almost 70 per cent of patients with morbidity hypertension and Type 2 diabetes can be expected to get off medications in about three months time. Read the rest of this entry

Overweight in children is most commonly described by using BMI. Because BMI does not adequately describe regional (central) adiposity, other indices of body fatness are being explored.

Neck circumference (NC) is positively associated with obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, and hypertension in adults. NC also has positive correlation with BMI in adults. The possible role of NC in screening for high BMI in children is not well characterized. Read the rest of this entry

Physiologic changes of pregnancy may predispose females to develop sleep disordered breathing (SDB) or protect against it. Studies evaluating outcomes of SDB symptoms in pregnancy are scarce. The goal of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of SDB symptoms in pregnancy and their relationship with pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.

A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected immediate postpartum females was performed using the multivariable apnea prediction index. Record review including demographics and medical history was performed. Main outcome measures included pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep deprivation is rampant among teenagers, which puts them at serious risk for depression and a host of other problems, according to a recent study involving almost 300 high school seniors in Mercer County. 

The study found that during the school year, high school students got an average of 6.1 hours of sleep on weeknights and that levels of depression were moderate to high within this group, according to Dr. Mahmood Siddique, Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and director of Sleep & Wellness Associates here and in Princeton. Read the rest of this entry

Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Diabetes have a close relationship.

“There is increasing attention to the causes, consequences, and treatment of OSA. OSA is a condition that millions of Americans suffer from, many without knowing it”,says .Dr. Gary D. Foster, a member of the Advisory Board for DiabetesCare.net

According to Dr. Foster obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is closely associated with impaired faster glucose, glucose intolerance, and type 2 diabetes.

“A recent comprehensive literature review, comprised of 83 studies, found among all of the sleep disorders, OSA has the strongest association with type 2 diabetes,. It is possible that the relationship goes in both directions. Poor sleep quality and intermittent hypoxemia from OSA may serve as the catalyst for glucose dysregulation. Over time these abnormalities may accelerate weight gain, which increases the severity of OSA”, explained Dr. Foster