BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is calculated using your height and weight, a screening tool to identify weight problems. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of body fat for most adults, with the exception of athletes and the elderly.

The formula used is: [weight in pounds ÷ ( height in inches ) x ( height in inches)] x 703. An easier way to calculate is to go to an online calculator such as The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at: nhlbisupport.com/bmi/.

There are four categories to interpret BMI for adults 20 years and older:

· Underweight = less than 18.5

· Normal weight = 18.5 24.9

· Overweight = 25 29.9

· Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

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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

SleepApneaDisorder/ [Press Release]/ (Raleigh, N.C.) Active Healthcare, an award-winning industry leader in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment, is marking 20 years of service with the launch of three state-of-the-art IntegraSleep diagnostic centers in Raleigh, Clayton and Smithfield. The fully functional sleep labs provide one-stop-shopping for quality diagnosis and care for this dangerous, often life-threatening condition, utilizing CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) systems, the gold standard of sleep apnea treatment.

Headquartered in Raleigh, the IntegraSleep centers were designed by Active Healthcare based on a carefully crafted quality patient care model integrating personalized, extensive follow-up care and maintenance which contributes to the company’s 98% customer satisfaction rate. Read the rest of this entry

People who sleep poorly or do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, researchers have found.

Data from a recent study are scheduled to be presented Sunday, Nov. 14 at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Chicago by Alanna Morris, MD, a cardiology fellow at Emory University School of Medicine.

The results come from surveying 525 middle-aged people participating in the Morehouse-Emory Partnership to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities study on their sleep quality and sleep duration. The META-Health study’s co-directors are Arshed Quyyumi, MD, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and director of Emory’s Cardiovascular Research Center, and Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine. Donald Bliwise, MD, director of the Emory University Sleep Program, contributed additional guidance. Read the rest of this entry

Poor sleep quality, insomnia,sleep apnea, and daytime somnolence are common among recently deployed Soldiers and those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We sought to determine the prevalence of sleep complaints and sleep disorders among recently deployed Soldiers with PTSD.

The researchers analyzed the records of 80 consecutive Soldiers returning from combat and diagnosed with PTSD. We determined the rate of sleep complaints and prevalence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. We compared demographic data, psychoactive medication use, psychiatric disorders and concomitant traumatic brain injury (TBI) to determine if any variables correlated with increased sleep complaints or disorders. Read the rest of this entry

When sleep doesn’t come easily, some people turn to what they think is an easy solution – sleeping pills. But according to a Baylor College of Medicine sleep expert, sleep medications – whether prescription or over-the-counter – shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“All medications have side effects that need to be weighed whenever you take them,” cautioned Dr. Phil Alapat, assistant professor of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at BCM and medical director of the BCM Sleep Center.

Some of the most common prescription sleep medications are non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, like Ambien and Lunesta. These medications are not physically addictive and will not cause withdrawal symptoms when a person stops taking them. However, many people depend on them because they believe they cannot sleep without them, Alapat said. Read the rest of this entry

Common eye disorder called floppy eyelid syndrome is strongly linked with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a new study finds.

“This is very significant,” says researchers at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.  “When doctors diagnose one condition in a patient they should also look for the other, in this case OSA.”

The study tracked 102 patients with floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) from 1995 through 2008. People with FES have rubbery-textured upper eyelids that may easily flip up during sleep, which can lead to irritated eyes and or discharge. Read the rest of this entry

You could be just one among the millions of people all across the globe who are suffering from a sleep disorder. Even more disturbing is the fact that majority of the persons suffering from sleep disorders are undiagnosed.

How can you be so sure that if you have a sleep disorder?

Here are some of the most commonly occurring health conditions and symptoms that you may be experiencing significant  as a typical sleep problem that requires urgent professional evaluation.

1.You have trouble going to sleep at night

While this is a common complaint among the normal population, if the problem persists it may signal the presence of a sleep disorder. Read the rest of this entry

A recently completed research evaluated insomnia symptoms and the extent to which they are associated with clinical and demographic patient characteristics, daytime symptoms, and functional performance in patients with stable heart failure (HF). 

In a cross-sectional, observational research study with a setting  as a five structured HF disease management programs in the Northeastern U.S.

This research study involved 173 stable chronic HF patients as participants.Full polysomnography was obtained for one night in participants’ homes. Read the rest of this entry

Recent studies suggest that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes thoracic aortic dilatation; but it is well accepted that hypertension can cause aortic dilatation, and hypertension is a common finding in patients with OSA.

The researchers at the” Cardiac Department and Department of General Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore” aimed to investigate the relative impact of OSA and hypertension on the structural and functional changes of the thoracic aorta.

This was an echocardiography substudy of a major prospective OSA study in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Read the rest of this entry

It may come as news to new parents but a US study has found that mothers do get enough sleep in their babies’ first few months – it’s just not good quality.

Researchers from West Virginia University in Morgantown followed a group of new mothers and found, on average, the women got just over 7 hours of sleep a night during their babies’ first four months.

That amount is generally what is recommended for adults, and, based on past studies, more than the average American gets. 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

Wives of soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, anxiety, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders along with complex mental health conditions than women whose husbands are not deployed, according to a new study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Read the rest of this entry

Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center recently opened it’s second branch in Moses Lake at 2323 W. Broadway Ave., Unit 4.

The sleep center is here to help people experiencing sleeping disorders, as more than 70 million Americans’ sleep is currently affected. The affects of sleep deprivation include depression, brain fog, change in mental status, short-term memory loss, weight gain, high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, traffic accidents, workplace accidents and injuries. 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