SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 2, 2011 /- Apnex Medical, Inc., received investigational device exemption (IDE) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of its Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation (HGNS®) System to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Data from this clinical study are intended to support the Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application for the HGNS System to the FDA.“Many patients who suffer from OSA are unable to tolerate existing therapies such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). The HGNS System provides a fundamentally new approach to the treatment of OSA. This study will help us further understand the potential role this device will have in treating the millions of people who suffer from OSA,” said the study’s co-principal investigator, Dr. Atul Malhotra, Clinical Chief, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Read the rest of this entry

A recently concluded research study was attempted with the objective of determining direct and indirect costs of sleep-disordered breathing (snoring, sleep apnea (SA) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS)) and the treatment are incompletely described.

Using data from the Danish National Patient Registry (1998–2006), 12 045, 19 438 and 755 patients were identified with a diagnosis of snoring, SA and OHS, respectively. For every patient, four age-, sex- and socioeconomic-matched citizens were randomly selected (48 180, 77 752 and 3020, respectively) from the Danish Civil Registration System Statistics Direct costs were extracted from the Danish Ministry of Health, Danish Medicines Agency and National Health Security and indirect costs were based on data derived from the Coherent Social Statistics.  Read the rest of this entry

Many mothers and wives often say one of the things they miss since motherhood  began is a good night’s sleep. There are many culprits that steal Mom’s restful  time, but one of the biggest can be a snoring partner. But there’s a solution  called VitalSleep Stop Snoring  Mouthpiece that’s affordable for husbands who snore,and their wives who are  kept awake.

“Restful sleep never happens for a snorer… or the people who love them,” says entrepreneur David Hernandez, “And it’s usually the woman who’s kept awake  because, scientifically, men are twice as likely to be snorers than women. When  every night consists of a nudge here, and a poke there, VitalSleep can end the  war some wives face to get a good night’s rest.”

Upon a visit to the dentist to uncover a solution to his snoring, he was  prescribed a mouthpiece that allows more air to flow freely to alleviate  snoring. The problem is the device came with a huge price tag of $3,000. He  asked his doctor for a more economical solution, but there wasn’t one, so that’s  when Hernandez conferred with Dr. Richard Koffler M.D. Read the rest of this entry

A new study by researchers at Stanford University, using a technique that manipulates light to control brain cells, has shown that broken sleep causes memory impairment in mice.

Until recently scientists have been unable to separate the effects on the brain of different sleep patterns. But in the newest study, they were able to overcome that problem using the new method, known as optogenetics.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the study could help explain memory problems linked to conditions including Alzheimer’s and sleep apnea.

The new study looked at sleep that was fragmented, but not shorter or less intense than normal for the mice. They targeted a type of brain cell that plays a vital role in switching between the states of being asleep and being awake. Read the rest of this entry

What looks like a pacemaker for the heart, may be the ticket for a good night’s sleep.  An experimental treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is being tested at the Medical University of South Carolina, where doctors have performed one of only six surgeries in the United States, as part of a trial monitored by the Food and Drug Administration. The experimental treatment works by stimulating muscles to keep the airway from closing off.

Five percent of men and three percent of women in this country suffer Obstructive Sleep Apnea.  The numbers dramatically increase as people age.  People with Obstructive Sleep Apnea often snore loudly, don’t sleep well at night and feel tired during the day.  It can lead to depression, irritability and memory troubles. But it also has the long term risk of stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure and increased risk of automobile accidents.” Read the rest of this entry

Nancy Collop, MD, director of the Emory Sleep Center and professor of Medicine and Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine

Nancy A. Collop, MD, director of the Emory Sleep Center and professor of Medicine and Neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, became the 26th president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) in June.  Her one-year term as president of the board of directors began Monday, June 13, 2011, at the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS) in Minneapolis, Minn.

A renowned sleep specialist and recognized expert in sleep-related breathing disorders, Collop will provide leadership for the professional society, representing more than 9,000 physicians, scientists and allied-health professionals in the field of sleep medicine.

“It is a privilege and an honor to lead a professional society that has been the catalyst for growth and development  in the sleep field during the past four decades,” said Collop. “As president, I will ensure that the AASM continues to promote the highest standards of medical care for patients with sleep disorders while also supporting the scientific and clinical advances that will lead to diagnostic and therapeutic innovations in the future.” Read the rest of this entry

Sleep Group Solutions (SGS), a leader in dental sleep medicine continuing education and sleep apnea (OSA) screening technology is launching a sleep study club, like no other.  Sleep Group Solutions has revolutionized the sleep industry by incorporating top level education, client support, innovating technologies, and now, a common ground to set the bar high in dental offices across the globe.

Dr. Michael Hnat, a dentist in Pittsburgh has been screening and treating his patients for sleep apnea for the past 4 years.  As a dentist, Dr. Hnat feels the airway is his responsibility, and each patient gets an evaluation, whether they know it or not.  “We screen each patient with forms, and a visual exam.  If the neck, tongue, or even BMI is larger than average, it’s a red flag.”  says Dr. Hnat.  After obtaining many successful cases, Dr. Hnat is a leader in his community in the fight against OSA.  When approached by Sleep Group Solutions to lead a study club in his state, Dr. Hnat was  excited to even the playing field. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ BELMONT, Calif. and HYDERABAD, India, July 20, 2011 /- Ventus Medical is pleased to announce the Indian launch of its proprietary Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy, an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Orbees Business Solutions Pvt. Ltd. will be the strategic market developer of Provent Therapy in India.

“India has a very high prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea. Roughly 20% of urban Indian males suffer from OSA,” said Rajiv Doshi, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Ventus Medical and inventor of the Provent technology. Dr. Doshi is faculty at Stanford University and serves as Executive Director (US) of the Stanford India Biodesign program, a Government of India funded collaboration between Stanford University and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. “With a very large patient need, we believe that Provent Therapy provides a reliable and clinically-proven solution to treat the millions of people in India with OSA.” Read the rest of this entry

UK researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) appears to be characterized by endothelial dysfunction and impaired myocardial perfusion and that these abnormalities can be reversed by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.

Using myocardial contrast echocardiography, Dr Mehmood Butt (University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, UK) and colleagues assessed the myocardial perfusion of 36 otherwise healthy sleep-apnea patients and compared the findings with those from 36 hypertensive subjects and 36 healthy individuals. They also measured endothelial function using a variety of techniques, they report online July 11, 2011 in Hypertension.

Those with OSA and hypertension had abnormal myocardial perfusion (p<0.001 for both comparisons), attenuated brachial artery reactivity (p<0.001), and cutaneous perfusion responses (p<0.001) compared with the healthy subjects, but they showed significant improvements in all of these parameters after 26 weeks of CPAP therapy.

Because this was an open study and all the sleep-apnea patients received CPAP, proper randomized studies will be needed to confirm the benefit of this intervention on the endothelium, says senior author Dr Gregory Lip (University of Birmingham Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences).

But he hopes the work will bring greater awareness of the relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. “The condition can be treated, and it is important that clinicians look out for it,” Lip comments in an AHA statement.

SomnoMed, Inc., the global leader in oral sleep appliance technology, will host a two-day educational course Aug. 5-6 in Chicago to help dentists successfully implement Dental Sleep Medicine within their practices.  The SomnoMed Academy course will introduce dentists to screening and treating patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) through extensive educational and hands-on sessions designed to maximize the latest dental sleep medicine technologies and develop streamlined protocols.

Sleep issues are not new – in fact, the 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39 percent  get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and 37 percent are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.

Sleep apnea, considered a sleeping disorder, affects tens of millions of Americans and is associated with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, stroke, memory/performance problems, depression and higher accident rates. SomnoMed’s SomnoDent® is a custom-made oral device that positions the lower jaw slightly forward of its usual position. This has the effect of keeping the airway open, preventing snoring and treating the serious chronic condition of OSA.

“SomnoDent is a unique solution for treating OSA that has unprecedented compliance rates among patients,” said Anthony White, vice president of marketing and SomnoMed Academy.  “We look forward to helping dentists introduce this solution in their practices to help patients sleep better, which in turn creates an overall healthier lifestyle.”

Registration for SomnoMed Academy is limited, and participants who reserve their seat before July 15 will receive a free demonstration model.  For more information about SomnoMed Academy, visit http://www.somnomed.com.

New research that was presented at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of  the American Academy of  Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) in Minneapolis quantified the efficacy  of mandibular advancement splints (MAS) using a self-administered,  at-home device to monitor snoring and sleep-disordered breathing.

The current study used the Sonomat, a portable, unobtrusive device  that has sensors contained within a mattress overlay. These sensors  measure apnea hypopnea index (AHI) by detecting and recording snoring,  breathing, and body movements.

Results show that MAS treatment reduced the average AHI from 10.3  events per hour to 3.8 events per hour. The respiratory event movement  index (RMI), which records more types of events than AHI, was reduced  from 15.9 events per hour to 7.6 events per hour. Read the rest of this entry

The diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders have come a long way in recent years. In the past, people who snored might be advised to sew a tennis ball onto the back of their pajama top. The “snore ball” would discourage them from sleeping on their back and might quiet their droning. Or a doctor might use the “dog index” to measure poor sleep: If your dog generally sleeps with you but by morning has left the bed more than half the time, it may be because you’re such a loud, restless sleeper that the dog has gone elsewhere for some peace and quiet.

How things have changed. Now, doctors with special training diagnose and treat more than 80 sleep disorders – from obstructive sleep apnea to narcolepsy – at special centers with labs where a patient’s every sleeping moment may be recorded and measured. Read the rest of this entry

One-fifth of all patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension suffer with the fatal disease for more than two years before being correctly diagnosed and properly treated, according to a new national study led by researchers at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City.

“For a lot of patients, that means the treatment is more difficult and the damage is irreversible,” said Lynnette Brown, MD, PhD, a pulmonologist and researcher at Intermountain Medical Center and lead author of the study, which is published this week in the July issue of Chest, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians.

“Finding out which patients are getting a delayed diagnosis is the first step in identifying them earlier, when treatment is easier and hopefully more effective,” she said. Read the rest of this entry

Impaired brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is associated with risk for subsequent cardiovascular events in patients after myocardial infarction (MI). These patients often have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We tested the hypothesis that patients with OSA post MI will exhibit more severe impairment in FMD.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) today announced agreement (PDF) on important fatigue recommendations that were developed by a joint FAA-NATCA working group which was established under the 2009 collective bargaining agreement.

“The American public must have confidence that our nation’s air traffic controllers are rested and ready to work,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “We have the safest air transportation system in the world but we needed to make changes and we are doing that.”

The agreement reinforces existing FAA policy that prohibits air traffic controllers from sleeping while they are performing assigned duties.  The FAA will continue to provide air traffic controllers breaks on the midnight shift based on staffing and workload.  While on break, air traffic controllers are expected to conduct themselves professionally and be available for recall at all times. Read the rest of this entry