QNEXA [kyoo-nek-suh] is an investigational drug  candidate being developed to address weight loss, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. QNEXA is a once-a-day, proprietary, oral, controlled-release  formulation of low-dose phentermine and topiramate, which is designed to  decrease appetite and increase satiety (the sense of feeling full), the two main  mechanisms that impact eating behavior. In phase 2 and 3 clinical data to date,  patients taking QNEXA have demonstrated statistically significant weight loss, glycemic control, and improvement in  cardiovascular risk factors, when used in combination with a diet and lifestyle  modification program.

VIVUS is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to address obesity,  sleep apnea, diabetes and male sexual health. The company’s lead product in  clinical development, QNEXA®, has completed phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of obesity and is currently being considered for approval by US and EU  regulators. QNEXA® is also in phase 2 clinical development for the  treatment of type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. In the area of sexual  health, VIVUS is in phase 3 development with avanafil, a PDE5 inhibitor being  studied for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. For more information about  the company, please visit www.vivus.com

A new study finds that a significant number of patients  with benign prostate enlargement (BPE) may have obstructive sleep apnea  (OSA), which may be the reason for their night awakenings and urination.  The study’s findings have been published in the Journal of the American  Board of Family Medicine.

The researchers, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU),  Israel, compared men between the ages of 55 and 75 who were randomly  sampled from primary clinics, diagnosed with BPE, and reported nocturia (or waking during the night to void) at least once nightly. The  comparison group had no BPE and one or no nocturia episodes per night.  Nocturia is a common BPE symptom.

The researchers found that more than half (57.8%) of patients with  enlarged prostates may in fact have the sleep disorder, and that the  awakenings that patients ascribed to their need to urinate at night may  be actually caused by their sleep disorders. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/OKLAHOMA CITY/ Graymark Healthcare, Inc. , the nation’s second largest provider of diagnostic sleep services and an innovator in comprehensive care for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), reported financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.

Net revenues in 2010 increased 30% to $22.8 million from $17.6 million in 2009 (as adjusted for the discontinued operations of the company’s retail pharmacy business). The annual increase is primarily attributable to realizing a full year of operating revenue amounting to $6.7 million from the Somni and Eastern acquisitions completed in August and September of 2009, respectively. Read the rest of this entry

The National Institutes of Health estimates one in 10 adults over 65 (a total of 18 million Americans) suffers from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which obstruction in the upper airway can lead to interrupted breathing and sleep.

In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the tongue and other tissues of the throat obstruct the airway during sleep, blocking breathing for sometimes up to a minute. These events can occur multiple times throughout the night and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked with increased risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and accidents resulting from daytime drowsiness.

This spring, two UC researchers are collaborating in an international, multi-center trial on an investigational device for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Read the rest of this entry

Victoria Wofford, 54, admitted stealing a stunning $17 million from American Express through fraudulent charges on  defunct business travel accounts.

And she  swiped another $8 million from a defense contractor by systematically over billing them for travel booked through her company.

“I’m not sure what I was thinking at the time, it may have had something to do with the undiagnosed sleep apnea that I apparently suffered from for many, many years,” Wofford told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus before he sent her to prison.

It was not clear if the self-described “workaholic” has since been diagnosed or is being treated for the disorder that causes a person to periodically stop breathing while they sleep and can leave them drowsy and confused during waking hours. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea, a disorder that increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease? Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder, affecting nearly 20 million Americans.

To address this problem, Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital is expanding services for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Last month, the IU Health Ball Memorial Sleep Disorders Center moved to 6004 Kilgore Ave. This new facility offers convenient parking and entry, new equipment, an innovative diagnostic computer system, and twice as many beds (an increase from six to 12) for diagnostic testing.

After being referred by their physicians, patients are asked to spend a night in one of the Sleep Disorders Center’s 12 rooms designed for optimal sleep comfort. Read the rest of this entry

A new sleep medicine practice, Sleep HealthCare of Connecticut, is providing the latest treatments for insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders that can seriously harm overall health.

Sleep HealthCare of Connecticut was founded by three health professionals in the field — A. Joel Papowitz, M.D., Medical Director; Edward B. O’Malley, PhD, Managing Director; and Derek Guice, RPsgT Technical Director.

The practice offers techniques, including neurofeedback — to promote natural, drug-free sleep – in a comfortable, spa-like setting. It departs from the traditional approach to treating sleep disorders, recognizing that they are chronic — rather than acute — problems that require longer term management. Read the rest of this entry

There are two ways that they people are snoring due to the fact some snoring is maded by the throat and the additional by the nose. It’s useful to find out the method that you are snoring which is a thing that perhaps your partner could say. It’s beneficial to understand to enable you to properly handle the situation. There are plenty of remedies, cures that will help us stop snoring. A lot of them are working several aren’t and it depends upon each person and the way they respond.

Beside all these remedies addititionally there is surgery. At present you can make a little surgery that are said to cure the snoring permanently. the matter that I believe will make me in favor for the surgery is the fact the surgery will last for maximum one hour and next you can relax since besides you will not be snoring but you will not have to take into account all of the gadgets that you simply want to utilize, on which side about the bed you have to sleep and in that situation. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep deprivation can do more than just make you unproductive and slow during  the day – it may also lead you to eat more than you should, according to a feature on CNN.

The results of a study led by Marie-Pierre St. Onge,  Ph.D., a research associate at the New York Obesity Research Center in Columbia  University, indicated that people who did not get a good night’s sleep tend to  eat more the following day. This fact, according to the study, was especially  true in women, who consumed 329 more calories on average when they are sleep-deprived, as opposed to when they are well-rested.  Men, on the other hand, consumed 263 calories more.

The findings lend more credence to the association between lack of sleep and  being overweight. Most people who are overweight also suffer from sleep  problems, the most notable of which is sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that  cause people to be awakened frequently. It is not clear, however, whether these  people are overweight because of their sleep problems, or whether they have  sleep problems because they are overweight. Read the rest of this entry

Obesity is associated with obstructive sleep apnea in the adult and pediatric population. The aim of a recently concluded research study was to assess the association between increasing body mass index on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in children.

We reviewed retrospectively 740 children with symptoms suggestive of obstructive sleep apnea who underwent a sleep study at an inner
city university hospital. Obstructive sleep apnea was defined as respiratory disturbance index of 5 per hour or more. Statistical analysis included chi square test and regression analysis. Read the rest of this entry

About 35 percent of people who snore loudly while sleeping may suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA ), according to a survey recently released by Philips and the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine.

The survey also found 80 percent of people who might have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA ) often feel tired and exhausted even after sleeping all night.

Meanwhile, some 30 percent who might have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA ),have dozed off while driving or riding motorcycle, the study showed.

At the same time, about 70 percent who might have  obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) think their snoring bothers other people.

Philips and the Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine commissioned a health-related Web portal to conduct the survey by having 1,565 netizens fill out the so-called Berlin Questionnaire to help them better understand their sleep quality. Read the rest of this entry

Cactus Semiconductor, a Chandler company is doing leading-edge work in designing integrated  circuits for big advances in medicine. The company is  working with other high-tech businesses  to create devices implantable in the human body.

“We’re working on devices now in trials that are being used to treat things  like sleep apnea devices delivering microscopic amounts of drugs at  precise intervals to treat pain or to treat some kind of disease,” said James  McDonald, president and co-founder of Cactus Semiconductor, a $3.5 million  company.

The neurostimulation devices could be used to treat chronic pain, epilepsy,  Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis  and atherosclerosis. Devices are typically implanted in the chest cavity with leads running to  areas needing stimulation, such as the brain. The devices are about 2 inches by  3 inches, and hold a 2-millimeter chip. Read the rest of this entry

A new survey has revealed that twelve percent of Portuguese drivers, mostly men, admitted to having fallen asleep while behind the wheel at least once. In Portugal, falling asleep while driving is the cause of one in every five accidents.

The survey, conducted by the Portuguese Sleep Association, indicates that over the past year 23 percent of the population has driven while eeling tired, and three percent admitted to actually having fallen asleep.

This appears to be a more common problem among men, aged between 25 and 34, who have a high risk of sleep apnea, poor sleep quality and excessive weight.

According to the survey, these men generally belong to the medium to high social classes; they live in greater Lisbon and drink, on average, three coffees a day. Read the rest of this entry

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “India Patient Monitoring and Diagnostic Systems Market Opportunity and Growth Trend Forecast till 2016” report to their offering.

The Market Intelligence report provides critical market data for India patient monitoring and diagnostics market and its product categories. The data includes market size in terms of value and volume; average selling price for each product type, growth trends and market shares of companies at sector and category level. It’s vital cross category comparison and cross sub-category comparison section makes analysis very handy for company professionals. The report helps professionals in mapping market size, competition, understanding historic and future growth trends. It covers important categories such as blood pressure monitors, cardiovascular monitoring systems, blood glucose monitoring devices, hearing diagnostics, micro-electromechanical systems multiparameter patient monitors, remote monitoring systems, sleep apnea diagnostic systems and wireless hospital ambulatory monitors. Market Size: Market size in terms of value ($) and volume (units), for each level of segmentation from 2005 to 2010 and forecast till 2016.

People with fibromyalgia who are also obese have greater sensitivity to pain, more impaired sleep,sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, and less physical strength than their non-obese counterparts, according to new findings from a prospective study.

“Obesity seems to be a big barrier to fibromyalgia patients getting better,” said lead author Akiko Okifuji, PhD, professor in the Department of Anesthesiology’s Pain Research and Management Center at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City (J Pain 2010;11:1329-1337).

Previous research demonstrated that in the United States, obese individuals generally have a heightened sensitivity to nociceptive pain and a higher frequency of painful conditions, such as headache and back pain (e.g., Psychiatry Res 1983;8:119-125), and as many as 75% of patients with fibromyalgia are overweight or obese. Although the current study did not address why the correlation between weight and pain exists, the investigators concluded that weight reduction interventions may be pivotal to treating fibromyalgia. Read the rest of this entry