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

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

A recently concluded  research study established that the patients denied bariatric surgery by their insurer developed a host of new obesity-related diseases and conditions including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) , within three years. 

Another study on insurers, showed that patients on insurance-mandated diet programs for six months before bariatric surgery did no better than patients with no such insurance requirement. However, patients on these programs had to wait, on average, about four months longer for surgery. 

Findings of this new research study were presented at the 27th annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) recently.

If you have the disorder, you’re not breathing properly while you sleep because your airflow is blocked repeatedly throughout the night. Nearly one in four men and one in ten women suffer from it. (There are a couple of other varieties, but OSA is the most common.) And it goes hand-in-hand with type 2 diabetes. In a survey on the subject, Gary D. Foster, PhD, wrote that, “among all of the sleep disorders, OSA has the strongest association with type 2 diabetes.”  That’s even taking into account other risk factors, such as weight, sex and age.

The main risk factor for OSA is obesity. “Excess weight deposits extra fat around the thorax, reducing chest compliance and functional capacity, while increasing oxygen demand,” wrote Foster, a professor of medicine and public health and the Director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University. Read the rest of this entry

[Press Release]-Circadiance, the world leader in soft cloth nasal CPAP masks, has launched the SleepWeaver(R) in the European Union and will launch in Canada soon. The company has secured the right to apply the CE Mark after becoming ISO 13485 certified.

“Sleep Apnea affects tens of millions of people around the world,” said David Groll, Circadiance’s CEO. “We have already established distributors in several European countries in preparation for this launch, and we anticipate the same enthusiastic reception in these new markets that we have enjoyed in the U.S. Our soft cloth mask is the answer to uncomfortable hard plastic masks that foster noncompliance. This milestone is just another step in our effort to establish global distribution for our superior cloth CPAP mask technology.” Read the rest of this entry