SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/NASHVILLE, Tenn/ Five state trucking associations have already taken decisive action on preparing their membership for a regulation on fatigued driving and the prevalence of sleep apnea in the trucking industry. Beginning with an endorsement from the Tennessee Trucking Association (TTA) in late 2009, the inspiration to find a sleep health partner quickly spread to the Kentucky Motor Transport Association and to three other state associations; the Louisiana Motor Transport Association, the Iowa Motor Truck Association and the Oklahoma Trucking Association.

Although each state handled the matter differently and coordinated separate task forces to research the issue, all five have inevitably decided on SLEEP ACCESS to deliver customized driver fatigue programs for their membership. Read the rest of this entry

A new study has revealed that people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep disorder associated with obesity, have more non-calcified or “bad” plaque in their coronary arteries. 

“Our study reveals that individuals with obstructive sleep apnea are prone to developing an aggressive form of atherosclerosis that puts them at risk for impaired blood flow and cardiovascular events,” said U Joseph Schoepf, director of cardiovascular imaging at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. 

OSA is caused by obstruction of the upper airway during sleep and is characterized by periodic pauses in breathing, which last for 10 or more seconds. OSA is also commonly associated with snoring.  Read the rest of this entry

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/635732/respiratory_care_e) has announced the addition of the “Respiratory Care Equipment & Supplies – Global Strategic Business Report” report to their offering.

This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Respiratory Care Equipment & Supplies in US$ Million by the following product segments – Pulmonary Function Testing Equipment, Spirometers, Sleep Apnea Diagnostic Devices, Ventilators, Humidifiers, Nebulizers, CPAP/Bi-level Devices, Oxygen Equipment, Manual Resuscitators, and Masks, Circuits & Disposables. Read the rest of this entry

Notwithstanding previous studies supporting independent associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and prevalence of diabetes, the underlying pathogenesis of impaired glucose regulation in OSA remains unclear. The mechanism was explored to find out linking OSA with prediabetes/diabetes and associated biomarker profiles.

The researchers hypothesized that OSA is associated with distinct alterations in glucose homeostasis and biomarker profiles in subjects with normal (NGM) and impaired glucose metabolism (IGM). 

Forty-five severely obese adults (36 women) without certain comorbidities/medications underwent anthropometric measurements, polysomnography, and blood tests. We measured fasting serum glucose, insulin, selected cytokines, and calculated homeostasis model assessment estimates of insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IS) and pancreatic beta-cell function (HOMA-B). Read the rest of this entry

Inspire Medical Systems, a developer of neuro-stimulation therapies for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea or OSA Tuesday said that the company has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA to begin its STAR pivotal clinical trial.

Inspire was formed in 2007 when the technology and a significant intellectual property portfolio was spun-out of Medtronic.

OSA is a common sleep disorder that occurs when the tongue and other soft tissues of the throat relax and obstruct the airway during sleep.

According to the company, the STAR trial is a multi-center study that will evaluate both the safety and effectiveness of Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation therapy in patients with moderate to severe OSA . The results of this study will be the basis for a Pre-market approval or PMA application to the FDA.

Inspire also said that it has received CE Mark for Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation therapy.

A research was concluded toevaluate the effect of body position on REM-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients.

In this Retrospective analysis based research 100 consecutive adult OSA patients (apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ? 5) who had ? 10 min of REM sleep in both supine and lateral postures. REM-related OSA was defined by previously used criteria (REM AHI/Non-REM (NREM) AHI ? 2) and was compared with data from Not–REM-related OSA (REM AHI / NREM AHI < 2).

Most (93%) of the REM-related OSA patients (n = 45) had a mild–moderate syndrome, compared to 50.9% in the Not–REM-related OSA patients (n = 55). REM-related OSA patients had a lower apnea index (AI), AHI, supine and lateral AHI, and NREM AHI, but similar REM AHI compared to the Not–REM-related OSA group. For the entire group, the following sequence was observed:

AHI REM supine > AHI NREM supine > AHI REM lateral > AHI NREM lateral. Also, for the REM-related and Not–REM-related OSA patients, the interaction between supine posture and REM sleep led to the highest AHI. However, the average length of apnea and hypopneas during REM sleep was similar in the supine and lateral postures.

During REM sleep, the supine position is associated with increased frequency but not increased duration of apneas and hypopneas. These body position effects prevail over the differences between REM-related and Not–REM-related OSA patients.

Team of researchers included Arie Oksenberg, Ph.D.; Elena Arons, Ph.D.; Khitam Nasser, PSGT; Tatiana Vander, M.D.; Henryk Radwan, M.D. from Sleep Disorders Unit, Loewenstein Hospital-Rehabilitation Center, Raanana, Israel.

Essential Topics in Dental Sleep Medicine, an all-new Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and Technology course designed specifically for dentists, will debut on January 14-15, 2011. The course will be held at the school’s facility in Atlanta.

After developing sleep medicine training for physicians, technicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants for more than 18 years, the Atlanta School is now expanding into the world of dental sleep medicine. Led by course directors Russell Rosenberg, PhD, Edward Spiegel, DDS, and Dan Brown, JD, Essential Topics in Dental Sleep Medicine will take a more advanced approach to sleep medicine as it applies to the dental field. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[Press Release]/ SPOKANE, WA,/– An estimated 40% of adult men and 24% of adult women suffer from habitual snoring, according to a report by the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). In addition, the AADSM has found that 50% of snorers have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a dangerous, life threatening disorder that affects nearly 20 million Americans.

Fortunately, help is close at hand for the nearly two million people living in the Inland Empire, an area that stretches from Western Idaho through Eastern Washington

Inland Empire Sleep Solutions.com conveniently connects patients with a select group of health professionals who are highly trained in treating OSA and a wide variety of sleep disorders. Read the rest of this entry

UVa Health System, Pulmonary and Critical Care Department seeks healthy children, adolescents, and young adults ages 5 to 20, with snoring and possible sleep-related obstructive breathing disorders for a research study.

The purpose of this study is to find out if an experimental portable device, called SoundTrak, can collect data about your breathing at home while you sleep, and determine whether you stop breathing during sleep (called sleep apnea). This data from the SoundTrak would then be compared to the data collected during a standard overnight sleep study at the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) Sleep Lab. Read the rest of this entry

UVa Health System, Department of Medicine, Pulmonary Division seeks healthy men, women, children and adolescents ages 5 to 65, with snoring and possible sleep-related obstructive breathing disorders for a research study.

The purpose of the study is to determine if an experimental device for sleep monitoring can accurately tell if you are awake or asleep and how well you are sleeping. The experimental device will be compared to a sleep study done using standard sleep monitoring equipment.
The study involves 1 outpatient consent and screening visit that will last about 1 hour, and 1 overnight stay at UVa Health Systems GCRC of about 16 hours for sleep monitoring.

§ Study-related screening visit and overnight sleep test (standard test to detect the presence of sleep apnea) provided free of charge.
§ Compensation for study completion is $ 125.00
Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [ Press Release ]/ Agoura Hills, CA / November 18, 2010/ The new technology is here and Nationwide Medical, Inc. is making it easy to get a good night’s rest by offering the new in-home sleep test to consumers who may be at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). The in-home technology has been developed as a way to diagnose OSA and enable physicians to prescribe a variety of methods available for sleep apnea treatment.

The in-home sleep test is a new medical technology that offers a variety of benefits, with the average cost a third lower than a sleep study in an overnight facility. More benefits are the ease of use and convenience of completing the test in the comfort of your own home. Read the rest of this entry