The estrogen-like compounds found in soy could help postmenopausal women get a better night’s sleep, according to a small study.

These compounds, isoflavones, have been tested for a number of menopausal symptoms as well as for treating health problems that become more common after menopause, such as high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and increased body fat. But so far, results have been disappointing.

Insomnia is very common in older women, Dr. Helena Hachul of the Universidade Federal de Sao Paolo and her colleagues write in the journal Menopause. Studies of whether hormone therapy helps with sleep problems have had mixed results, they add. 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

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with prothrombotic effects that could lead to venous thromboembolic disease.

The researchers performed a prospective cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of snoring and risk of OSA in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Research evaluated 270 consecutive patients who underwent a computed tomographic angiogram for suspected PE. Patients without PE served as a control group. Read the rest of this entry

Hemangiomas involving the upper airway can be an uncommon cause of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Case presentationA 26-year-old Caucasian man with a known history of a large hemangioma of his head and neck presented with sleep-disordered breathing to the sleep unit of our hospital.

Severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was revealed on polysomnography.

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure was implemented effectively, reducing daytime hypersomnolence and significantly improving sleep parameters.

After three years of adherent use, the patient remains in a good condition and the hemangioma is stable. Read the rest of this entry

In a recently completed research study the researchers examined that among children undergoing adenotonsillectomy for obstructive sleep apnea, what are the responsible factors that promote incomplete resolution of obstructive sleep apnea.

In quest to this exploration researchers  attempted to assess the efficacy of surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids (adenotonsillectomy [AT]) in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in children, and to delineate factors associated with persistent OSA, a retrospective review of pre- and postsurgery polysomnograms (PSG) through a research study which was conducted at eight facilities in the US and Europe. Read the rest of this entry

A good night’s sleep is crucial to daily function, but more than 40 million Americans live with an undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorder in the United States. At Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, the sleep-challenged can find help at the Sleep Center, now conveniently located at the Hawthorne Inn to provide patients with the highest quality of care in a comfortable and relaxing environment. Read the rest of this entry

Clinic-based observational studies in men have reported that obstructive sleep apnea is associated with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. The objective of this study was to assess the relation of obstructive sleep apnea to incident coronary heart disease and heart failure in a general community sample of adult men and women.

A total of 1927 men and 2495 women 40 years of age and free of coronary heart disease and heart failure at the time of baseline polysomnography were followed up for a median of 8.7 years in this prospective longitudinal epidemiological study. Read the rest of this entry

 Patients with neuromuscular disease (NMD) are at risk of developing sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) following respiratory muscle involvement. The researchers hypothesised that a questionnaire based on clinical symptoms and signs of diaphragm weakness can be used to screen for SDB in such patients.  

Researchers developed a self-administered multiple choice questionnaire containing five questions (SiNQ-5), scoring 0–10 points. 125 patients were enroled, 32 with respiratory muscle weakness, 35 subjects with normal respiratory muscle strength, and 58 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). All subjects underwent full polysomnography. ^{Read the rest of this entry}

A research study was concluded recently to estimate the population prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in an urban community of German third graders and the diagnostic test accuracy of two OSA screening methods.

Using a cross-sectional study design with a multi-stage sampling strategy, 27 out of 59 primary schools within the city limits of Hannover, Germany, were selected. One-thousand and forty-four (1044)  third graders were screened for symptoms of Sleep Apnea along with Symptoms and signs of OSA using questionnaires and nocturnal home pulse oximetry. Read the rest of this entry

According to a new research study findings theBerlin questionnaire performs poorly in predicting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in pregnant women compared to polysomnography. The detailed findings of this research study are published in the June issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Sofia A. Olivarez, M.D., of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and colleagues conducted a prospective clinical trial of 100 women in the third trimester of pregnancy to determine the ability of the Berlin sleep questionnaire to predict OSA. The women all underwent polysomnography with concurrent fetal heart monitoring (FHM).

The researchers observed that 20 percent of the cohort was diagnosed with OSA by polysomnography, considered the diagnostic gold-standard. The Berlin screening questionnaire was 35 percent as sensitive as polysomnography and 63.8 percent as specific in predicting OSA. Read the rest of this entry

According to new research that received the Graduate Student Research Award on June 5, at the 19th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the ratio between tongue volume and bony enclosure size in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may help dentists calculate oral appliance treatment success.

The researchers assessed whether anatomical factors such as craniofacial size, upper-airway soft tissue volume, and/or the anatomical balance between them were associated with mandibular advancement splint (MAS) treatment outcome.

The study included 49 OSA patients. Patients were at least 18 years of age and had mild to severe sleep apnea. They were without other sleep disorders or serious comorbid medical or psychiatric disorders. 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