Reportlinker.com announced the release of a new market research report ”Global  Sleep Apnea Diagnostic And Therapeutic Devices Industry“.    This report analyzes the worldwide markets for Sleep Apnea Diagnostic and Therapeutic Devices in US$ Million  by the following Product Segments: Diagnostic Devices (Fixed PSG, Ambulatory  PSG, & Others include Screening Devices), and Therapeutic Devices (CPAP,  Bi-Level PAP, Auto PAP, & Facial Interfaces ,Masks and Humidifiers).

The  report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the US, Japan, Europe, and  Rest of World. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2007  through 2015. A seven-year historic analysis is also provided for these markets. Read the rest of this entry

Advocate Condell Medical Center, along with the Alert, Well, And Keeping Energetic support group (A.W.A.K.E.), is hosting a CPAP vendor fair on Tuesday, Oct. 4, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., in the conference center at 801 South Milwaukee Ave. in Libertyville. The event is free and open to the public.

Sleep apnea patients, family members and physicians are invited to learn about new continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) equipment, masks, and other items for clients. Vendors include; DeVilbiss, Phillips Respironics, ResMed, Candance, Fisher & Paykel along with Dr. Debbie Kline, an oral appliance specialist. Additionally, Advocate Home Health Care will offer free CPAP equipment pressure checks.  Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/ [Press release ]/ DETROIT /– Detroit Medical Center has been selected as the first Detroit area hospital to participate in a pivotal clinical study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of a new therapy for patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The STAR trial (Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction) will be conducted at leading medical centers across the United States and Europe, and will evaluate the efficacy of Inspire™ Upper Airway Stimulation (UAS) therapy, an implantable therapy that works with the body’s natural physiology to prevent airway obstruction during sleep. More than 18 million Americans suffer from OSA, which is characterized by repeated episodes of upper airway collapse during sleep. Patients with OSA stop breathing frequently during sleep, often for a minute or longer. Daytime sleepiness, depression, weight gain, increase in industrial accidents and diminished quality of life are all commonly observed in people who suffer from OSA as a result of fragmented sleep patterns.  Furthermore, OSA is associated with the development of systemic hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, heart rhythm disorders), stroke, and diabetes. Read the rest of this entry

The most effective treatment for the nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea is the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, according to a new report.

A CPAP machine pumps air through a mask while the patient sleeps. This treatment is highly effective in improving sleep and reducing symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to the review of available evidence.

However, side effects such as dry nose and mouth, nosebleeds, chest discomfort and feeling trapped can cause patients to abandon CPAP treatment, noted the authors of the report, which was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

One expert called the report’s findings “valuable.” Read the rest of this entry

The benefits of continuous positive airway pressure machines (CPAP) for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are quickly reversed when the therapy is withdrawn, according to Swiss research. The findings appear online in the articles-in-press section of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“In patients with obstructive sleep apnea who are established on CPAP treatment, withdrawal of the therapy is associated with a rapid recurrence of OSA and sleepiness within a few days” said Malcolm Kohler, MD, senior consultant at the Sleep Disorders Centre and Pulmonary Division of the University Hospital in Zurich. “After 14 days of CPAP withdrawal, OSA patients experienced considerable increases in heart rate and blood pressure as well as a deterioration in vascular function.” Read the rest of this entry

Former USC football star Petro Papadakis, who currently hosts the KLAC AM 570 afternoon radio show, announced that he had received successful treatment for sleep apnea and snoring from Dr. Jonathan Greenburg.  Dr. Greenburg fitted Papadakis with a patent-pending appliance that is customized to each person’s mouth and tongue.   Papadakis commented, “It’s been a great alternative to the CPAP for me.  Dr. Greenburg is an innovator and visionary and his Snore No More Device enables me to sleep on planes and at my house without disturbing the peace.  The dental device opens your airway just like the CPAP and is much less cumbersome.“

Dr.Greenburg commented, “Petros is one of many sleep apnea or snoring sufferers who find the CPAP machine uncomfortable and too difficult to use.  Our custom fitted oral appliance treatment program gently repositions the tongue away from the airway at night and is ideal for patients like him who are either CPAP intolerant or travel often and wish to not have to take a CPAP machine with them.” Read the rest of this entry

Wearing compression stockings could be an effective and cheap way to help people suffering with a common sleep disorder, scientists say.

Researchers from the University of Brescia in Italy, found that wearing flight socks during the day reduced the symptoms of  sleep apnea among sufferers at night.

Around four per cent of men and two per cent of women in the UK have the condition that  interrupts breathing at night for ten seconds at a time.It can leave sufferers feeling exhausted as  the body reacts to obstructed airways by going from a state of deep sleep to  lighter rest.There are few effective treatments available  for the condition, which is particularly prevalent among the overweight and  over-65s. Many refuse to use available airway machines  as they require wearing a mask all night. Read the rest of this entry

According to research presented at the 20th Anniversary Meeting of  the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM), the  apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients with severe obstructive sleep  apnea (OSA) was more improved by a combination treatment of a mandibular  advancement splint (MAS) and positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy  than by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy alone.

Results show that without lowering the pressure substantially, CPAP  tolerance can be improved and severe OSA can be effectively treated  using a MAS that physically supports and stabilizes the position of  nasal pillows (TAP-PAP). Read the rest of this entry

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

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

Transcend, the new wearable sleep apnea therapy device designed by Somnetics International Inc. to be the ultimate travel CPAP, now measures apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). While AHI measurement is not new to CPAPs, it is a new standard feature on Transcend thereby giving users added value at no additional cost.

Used to assess the severity of a patient’s sleep apnea, AHI is a numerical measure that accounts for the number of pauses in breathing per hour of sleep. Leak detection helps assess the appropriateness of the mask used by the patient. In measuring AHI and leak detection, Transcend also helps assess the efficacy of the patient’s pressure setting. Valuable to both patients and doctors, this information can be used to identify issues with the therapy and to determine how changes to the system setup affects overall treatment. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep apnea is a treatable disorder. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, one in 15 adults has some form of sleep apnea.  Sleep apnea is the interruption of breathing while sleeping caused by either an obstruction or a lack of brain impulse, and can be experienced by adults, teens, children and infants. Sleep apnea not only poses a health risk to the sufferer, it can be very concerning to loved ones. While the sufferer may be unaware, often partners sleep restlessly waiting for their next breath. A recent research study published in the journal “Sleep” found that poor sleep quality and developing brain damage caused by obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) could be responsible for a whole host of cognitive issues – from poor memory to heart agitation.

Making faces and sticking out your tongue might not just be for sassy kids – it might be the keys to a good night’s sleep. Read the rest of this entry

A Medical Report from the Mayo Clinic says the risk for heart attack and stroke is much higher for anyone suffering from sleep apnea. It can also aggravate diabetes, cause cardiovascular problems, and contribute to memory problems. Doctors recommend using a C-PAP machine, a device that goes over your nose and provides air pressure while you breath at night.Sleep apnea may run in families. It’s also associated with obesity.

A research abstract that will be presented in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS) says that large  corporations could save millions of dollars in lost productivity by screening  and treating high-risk employees for obstructive sleep apnea .

Results show that a large  corporation in Florida could save an estimated $136 million in lost productivity  over 10 years by screening high-risk employees for OSA and offering treatment  with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.  The study found that  608 employees of the corporation were middle-aged, obese men who were at high  risk for OSA.According to the authors, untreated OSA results in job performance deficiencies  such as excessive sleepiness, cognitive dysfunction, irritability  and reduced vitality. Research shows that work performance can be decreased by  30 percent due to sleep fragmentation and repetitive hypoxia, which are  characteristics of OSA. Read the rest of this entry

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with obesity, insulin resistance (IR) and diabetes. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) rapidly mitigates OSA in obese subjects but its metabolic effects are not well-characterized.

The researchers postulated that CPAP will decrease IR, ghrelin and resistin and increase adiponectin levels in this setting.

In a pre- and post-treatment, within-subject design, insulin and appetite-regulating hormones were assayed in 23 20 obese subjects with OSA before and after 6 months of CPAP use. Primary outcome measures included glucose, insulin, and IR levels.

Other measures included ghrelin, leptin, adiponectin and resistin levels. Body weight change were recorded and used to examine the lationship between glucose regulation and appetite-regulating hormones. Read the rest of this entry