Cardiac Concepts, Inc., a developer of medical devices to treat Heart Failure patients who experience breathing disturbances during sleep, announced today enrollment of the first European patients in a Pilot Clinical Trial.

The purpose of the Pilot Study is to understand the respiratory and cardiac benefits of the RespiCardia(TM) System when treating a breathing disorder known as Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) in Heart Failure patients. Prof. Piotr Ponikowski, Principal Investigator of the Pilot Clinical Trial at The Medical University/4th Military Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland, commented that the system was successfully implanted in 2 male patients, ages 57 and 68 years with ischemic cardiomyopathy and symptoms of moderate heart failure. Despite optimal medical management, both experienced severe sleep breathing disorders. The trial is a 40 patient study being conducted in a number of centers worldwide. Implants are expected to begin in the United States in the coming months. Read the rest of this entry

When you hear the phrase, “Sleep Apnea”, you don’t typically think of dentists, but a Las Vegas dental school hopes to change that. The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies, commonly known as LVI Global has launched a new series of courses aimed at educating dentists on how to recognize the symptoms of Sleep Apnea and, working with a sleep physician, diagnose and treat the disease.

The first course happened last week and was a foundational class that taught dentists about the potentially deadly effects that Sleep Apnea can have on the body, and why a dentist can act as the first line of defense in identifying potential Sleep Apnea sufferers called “apneics”.

“People with Sleep Apnea often don’t know that they have it. By simply asking some questions that their primary doctor might not know to ask, we can help people be aware of the problem and start them on the road to treatment,” says Corpus Christi Sleep Apnea dentist, Dr. Don Lowrance. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea, a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder if left untreated, affects approximately 18 million Americans. During sleep apnea episodes, a person stops breathing for at least 10 seconds. Depending on the severity of the disorder, a person can have between 10 and 60 episodes a night. Sleep apnea treatment often involves a team of healthcare providers, including dentists, general physicians, surgeons and sleep specialists.

If you think you suffer from sleep apnea, the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) recommends consulting with your dentist. Early detection is key because sleep apnea has been linked with irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes.

There are three types of sleep apnea, including obstructive apnea (OSA), central apnea and a combination of the two. The most common type of sleep apnea, OSA, is caused when the muscles in the walls of your throat relax too much, causing the airway to collapse. Central sleep apnea is caused when the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Read the rest of this entry