A recently concluded research study published in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP indicates that overall risk of death is more than two times higher in older adults who have sleep apnea and report struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness.

Results of adjusted proportional hazards modeling show that older adults with moderate to severe sleep apnea who reported struggling with excessive daytime sleepiness at baseline were more than twice as likely to die (hazard ratio = 2.28) as subjects who had neither problem.  The risk of death was insignificant in older adults with only excessive daytime sleepiness (HR = 1.11) or sleep apnea (HR = 0.74).

Participants had a mean age of 78 years at baseline, and about 55 percent (n = 160) died during an average follow-up period of 14 years.

“Excessive daytime sleepiness, when associated with sleep apnea, can significantly increase the risk of death in older adults,” said principal investigator and lead author Dr. Nalaka S. Gooneratne, assistant professor of medicine in the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, Pa.  “We did not find that being sleepy in and of itself was a risk.  Instead, the risk of increased mortality only seemed to occur when sleep apnea was also present.” Read the rest of this entry

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

According to research presented at the School of Medicine and the University of Navarra Hospital by Dr. Roberto Muñoz, a physician of the Neurology Service of the Hospital Complex of Navarra, those persons with serious cases of sleep apnea have more than twice the possibility of suffering an ischemic stroke, specifically, 2.5 times more.

This was confirmed in an study undertaken for his doctoral dissertation among 394 subjects aged 70 or more.  “After studying the quality of their sleep, we tracked the volunteers over the course of six years.  After which, 20 of the  study subjects had suffered a stroke”, explained this native Pamplonan.  Furthermore, he confirmed that in addition to the fact that sleep apnea affects above all persons of middle and advanced age—it is estimated that 5% of all adults suffer from it—this prevalence may significantly increase with age.

In addition, the new Ph.D. in Medicine noted that sleep apnea “can appear in childhood, although with different causes and characteristics”.  Among the predisposing factors for suffering this disorder, the expert emphasized obesity: “Therefore, one of the measures for avoiding the problem is losing weight.  In fact, there are patients who have been able to make their sleep apnea disappear simply by reducing their weight”. 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

A recent study conducted at the Columbia University has claimed that the overweight mothers and kids underestimate their actual weight. Inaccurate estimates about weight can lead to health problems both in mothers and kids.

About 82% of obese women involved in the study underestimated their actual weight.

Nearly one-third of the kids in United States are now overweight or obese which puts them at a risk of a number of diseases including type II diabetes, sleep apnea and heart disease. A healthy diet and lifestyle can help the people in reducing their weight. Performing various exercises, playing, and running could also be helpful for the kids.

Kids who munch on junk food or high- fat and high-sugar food are more likely to become overweight. Parents are advised to make sure than their kids eat plenty of real, fresh foods and vegetables so that they can maintain a healthy weight.

Experts suggest the parents not to buy sugary juices, pop, processed foods and fattening snacks for their kids. Healthy and conscious food choices will significantly improve the health of whole family.

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

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

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

Watermark Medical, Boca Raton, Fla, is launching WM SleepCare, a comprehensive sleep  benefits management program. The Web-based program offers insurance  providers and self-insured employer groups an “end-to-end” program to  manage patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) that includes  utilization oversight and compliance management.

“The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) made it  possible for insurance providers to offer home sleep testing. We quickly  recognized the opportunity to build a sleep benefits management program  with tight controls and utilization oversight, something the insurance  industry is rapidly embracing,” said Sean Heyniger, chief executive  officer of Watermark Medical.

According to Watermark Medical, the system utilizes the company’s  cloud-based platform that improves workflow, integrates therapy  alternatives, and reduces the cost of health care delivery.

“We are transforming the entire industry to a more streamlined and  cost-effective solution, while improving patient care,” said Charlie  Alvarez, president of Watermark Medical.

A new report from the American Thoracic Society (ATS), published in the Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society,  identifies barriers preventing incorporation of portable monitor testing into clinical management pathways and recommends research and  development needed to address those barriers. It summarizes the  recommendations of an international workshop sponsored by the ATS, AASM,  the American College of Chest Physicians, and the European Respiratory  Society.

“The consensus of the workshop participants was that outcomes-based  research studies are needed to demonstrate the efficacy and  cost-effectiveness of portable monitor testing,” said Samuel Kuna, MD,  associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and  chief of the Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Section at  Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and chair of the  workshop’s steering committee. “There is also a need to develop clinical  sleep research networks capable of performing large, prospective  studies.”

Recommendations were developed regarding research study design and  methodology that include the need to standardize technology, identify  the patients most appropriate for ambulatory management of obstructive  sleep apnea, ensure patient safety, and identify sources of research  funding. Read the rest of this entry

A very recent  community research study concluded by a Pune-based doctor showed that only 4% of the population actually knows about sleep disorders and sleep apnea. The study showed that 12% of the urban population is at risk fromObstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).Conducted by Dr Rakesh Datta, it has suggested high incidence of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)  in the urban population. “Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is characterised by reduction in blood oxygen levels as the sufferer is unable to breathe sufficiently during sleep. People suffering from this disease may be unaware of this condition and snoring, at times, may be the only hint of its existence. This lack of awareness is like a ticking time bomb and, if untreated, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can cause other complications,” said Datta. Read the rest of this entry

Discover Medical Devices that developed the SomnuSeal mask for OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) patients has started a second clinical trial in Israel with a smaller size SomnuSeal mask that will help non compliant CPAP patients.

There are 350 million obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in the world that require CPAP (continuous positive air pressure) treatment.

Up until now approximately 20 million patients were diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and require continuous CPAP treatment. Only 7 million of them agree to receive the treatment and 13 million do not. Therefore every increase of 10% of compliance among non compliant patients may help an additional 1.3 million diagnosed patients. (Studies by John Hopkins demonstrate that 46% of untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients die younger and therefore it is very important to find solutions that will help those patients receive treatment!). Read the rest of this entry