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Sleep Apnea 'Mask' Might Also Help the Heart
Posted 4 days ago by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, May 22 – New research suggests that treating obstructive sleep apnea, a common cause of snoring and daytime sleepiness, might also cut down on a serious health hazard associated with the condition – the risk of developing high blood pressure. Researchers in Spain examined the number of new cases of high blood pressure in two groups with sleep apnea who used continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP, for either about four or 11 years. CPAP involves the use of a mask to help push air into the lungs while asleep. The results were published in a pair of studies in the May 23/30 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Both studies found that people who used CPAP, the most common treatment for sleep apnea, for at least four hours a night had lower rates of developing high blood pressure compared with those who were not prescribed CPAP or who used it ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Obstructive Sleep Apnea May Be Linked to Depression
Posted 30 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 30 – There appears to be a link between the common sleep disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea and major depression, a new study suggests. In people with obstructive sleep apnea, soft tissue in the back of the throat blocks the upper airway during sleep. This results in pauses in breathing and other sleep symptoms such as snorting, gasping and snoring. In the new study, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers surveyed about 9,700 American adults and found that 6 percent of the men and 3 percent of the women said they had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. The CDC team found that symptoms of the sleep disorder were associated with many depression symptoms, including feeling like a failure and feeling hopeless. This association was not affected by factors such as weight, age, sex or race, they noted. There was no link noted between regular ... Read more
Related support groups: Depression, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea Treatment May Help Ward Off Heart Failure: Study
Posted 13 Mar 2012 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, March 13 (HealthDay News) – A nightly breathing treatment may not only help people with obstructive sleep apnea sleep better, it might also lower their risk of heart failure, a new study finds. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when breathing is interrupted throughout nighttime sleep. With the new study, a team of British researchers believe their findings could have a significant impact on the estimated 18 million Americans with some form of the condition. "Sleep apnea has been frequently associated with poorly controlled blood pressure, heart failure and fatigue," noted one expert, Dr. Justine Lachman, director of the Congestive Heart Failure Program at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y. Lachman, who was not involved in the new study, noted that "the stress of repeatedly waking up at night due to a lack of oxygen results in the heart needing to work harder. This ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea May Be Tied to 'Silent' Strokes, Study Finds
Posted 1 Feb 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 1 – Sleep apnea, the disorder marked by abnormal pauses in breathing during sleep, is already known to boost the risk of stroke. Now, a new study links sleep apnea to so-called silent strokes, in which there is tissue death in the brain without symptoms. In another new study, researchers found that rapid memory loss before a stroke boosts the risk of the stroke being fatal. Both studies are slated for presentation Wednesday at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in New Orleans. Stroke affects 795,000 Americans annually, according to the association. In one study, Dr. Jessica Kepplinger, a fellow at the University of Technology in Dresden, Germany, and her colleagues evaluated 56 patients who had a stroke. They knew that silent strokes had been linked to an increased risk of strokes. However, "there are barely any studies that have ... Read more
Related support groups: Ischemic Stroke, Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Apnea Treatment Might Reduce Signs of Heart Disease Risk
Posted 14 Dec 2011 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 14 – Along with helping people with obstructive sleep apnea get a better night's sleep, machines that help keep the airways open during sleep can also help improve the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, according to new research. Metabolic syndrome is a group of symptoms that indicate a higher risk of heart disease. These symptoms include excess weight, especially in the abdomen, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, higher blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Many people with obstructive sleep apnea also have metabolic syndrome, according to the study. After three months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment, study participants with obstructive sleep apnea and metabolic syndrome had improvements in their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Thirteen percent of those who received the breathing treatment had such ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Thyroid Surgery Linked to Improved Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Posted 28 Oct 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Oct. 28 – Surgery to remove all or part of an enlarged thyroid gland, known as a thyroidectomy, appears to reduce snoring and other symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, according to a new study. Researchers compared symptoms in patients with obstructive sleep apnea before and eight weeks after they had a thyroidectomy. Symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include snoring, disrupted breathing during sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness. After surgery, symptom scores improved dramatically and far fewer of the patients (51 percent versus 71 percent) were considered to be at high risk for obstructive sleep apnea. "Obstructive sleep apnea is obviously a complex problem with numerous causes, but we find it encouraging that thyroidectomy alone can provide significant improvements in nearly a third of patients, regardless of gland size," study author Dr. Rebecca Sippel, chief of the ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea Makes Quick Return When Treatment Stops
Posted 12 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Aug. 12 – Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and sleepiness rapidly return when patients stop using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, a new study finds. CPAP is a common treatment for OSA patients, whose breathing is interrupted many times during sleep due to the repeated blockage of the upper airway. CPAP keeps the airway open by pumping a continuous stream of air through a mask or nose piece the patient wears while sleeping. This Swiss study included patients on CPAP therapy who were randomly selected to either continue or discontinue CPAP for two weeks. Those who stopped CPAP experienced a return of OSA and sleepiness within a few days. Within 14 days, they had significant increases in heart rate and blood pressure, and a deterioration in vascular function. The results suggest that even a short break in CPAP therapy has a negative effect on the cardiovascular ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
CPAP Therapy Most Effective for Sleep Apnea, Experts Say
Posted 8 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Aug. 8 – 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. The report, funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for its Effective Health Care Program, also found that another treatment using a mouthpiece called a mandibular advancement device can be highly effective for sleep apnea patients. The device moves the jaw forward and keeps the airway open. This ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea Linked to Blood Vessel Disorders in Study
Posted 11 Jul 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 11 – Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that causes pauses in breathing during sleep, plays a role in blood vessel abnormalities and should be treated to prevent potentially fatal heart conditions, a new study suggests. About 15 million adults in the United States have obstructive sleep apnea, according to the American Heart Association. The condition may cause changes in blood vessel function, cutting blood supply to the heart in otherwise healthy people. Blood vessel dysfunction has been linked in previous research to cardiovascular disorders. For the study, published July 11 in Hypertension, researchers monitored blood vessel function in 108 healthy people. The participants were divided into three groups: those with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea without high blood pressure, those with high blood pressure but no sleep apnea, those with neither sleep apnea ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Disorder May Spur Men to Head to Bathroom at Night
Posted 21 Mar 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 18 – Obstructive sleep apnea may be the underlying cause of awakening and urination in men with enlarged prostates, a new study suggests. The study included men aged 55 to 75 who were diagnosed with benign prostate enlargement (BPE) and reported nighttime urination (nocturia) at least once nightly. They were compared to a control group of same-age men who had no BPE and one or no nocturia episodes per night. The Israeli researchers found that 57.8 percent of the men with BPE may have obstructive sleep apnea and that the sleep disorder may be the actual cause of the sleep awakenings the men believe are caused by the need to urinate. Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by snoring, pauses in a person's breathing that cause awakenings, and also daytime sleepiness. The study, by the team at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, is published in the March/April issue of the ... Read more
Related support groups: Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Common Sleep Apnea Therapy Relieves Fatigue: Study
Posted 3 Jan 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Jan. 3 – Treatment with a common therapy helped obstructive sleep apnea patients gain more energy and become less fatigued in just three weeks and the gains appeared to be the result of more than just a placebo effect, a new study shows. People with sleep apnea often unconsciously wake up dozens of times during the night when their airways become blocked. The condition can cause heavy snoring, daytime sleepiness and fatigue. Patients with the condition often undergo sleep tests and are then prescribed continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. The treatment entails wearing a mask during sleep that keeps their airwaves open by sending a steady stream of air down their throats. In the new study, published in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Sleep, 59 patients with an average age of 48 were assigned to receive treatment with either a CPAP device or a placebo (sham) device. ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea Could Raise Heart Risks for Older Men
Posted 12 Jul 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, July 12 – The snoring and breathing disturbances of sleep apnea may be more than just a nuisance, with a new study linking the condition to higher risks for heart failure and heart disease in middle-aged and older men. However, the study found no correlation between sleep apnea and coronary heart disease in women, or in men older than 70. "The key here is that there is a lot of undiagnosed sleep apnea, and that, at least in men, it is associated with the development of coronary heart disease and heart failure. Only about 10 percent of sleep apnea cases are diagnosed, " said Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, associate professor of medicine, Boston University School of Medicine. Gottlieb noted that while the jump in heart risk was noteworthy, it was not as large as that seen in previous clinic-based studies of sleep apnea because the participants were drawn from a broad community-based ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Air Pollution Tied to Breathing Problems in Sleep
Posted 16 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 16 – A new study has found a link between air pollution and breathing-related disruptions during sleep. Conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham & Women's Hospital, the authors say this the first attempt to document a link between exposure to pollution and sleep-disordered breathing. Breathing-related sleep disruptions come in several forms, of which the best known is sleep apnea. It causes people to repeatedly wake up when their airways constrict and breathing is cut off. In many cases, sufferers don't realize they have the condition, which can contribute to the development of heart disease and stroke. In the study, researchers tried to discover if air pollution – which irritates the airways – has anything to do with sleep disruptions, which affect an estimated 17 percent of adults in the United States. The study authors pored over data from the ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Even Mild Sleep Apnea Raises Stroke Risk in Men
Posted 8 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 8 – The nighttime breathing disorder known as obstructive sleep apnea more than doubles the risk for stroke in men who are middle age and beyond, new research has found. U.S. researchers looked at more than 5,400 people, age 40 and older and with no history of stroke, who were participating in the Sleep Heart Health Study. The participants underwent a standard at-home sleep test at the start of the study to determine if they had sleep apnea and, if so, the severity of the condition. During the next nine years, 193 participants had a stroke – 85 of the 2,462 men and 108 of the 2,960 women. A greater risk for stroke was noted in men with mild sleep apnea, rising with the severity of the apnea. Men with moderate to severe sleep apnea were nearly three times more likely to suffer a stroke than were those without sleep apnea or with mild sleep apnea. In women, only severe ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome
Sleep Apnea Linked to Eyelid Disorder
Posted 3 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, April 2 – An eye disorder called floppy eyelid syndrome is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea, a new study finds. This means that when doctors diagnose one condition in a patient they should also look for the other, said the researchers at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. The study included 102 patients with floppy eyelid syndrome (FES) and 102 matched controls who were followed between 1995 and 2008. People with FES have rubbery-textured upper eyelids that may easily flip up during sleep, which can lead to dry, irritated eyes and/or discharge. "About one-third [32 of 102] FES patients in our study also had OSA [obstructive sleep apnea]," team leader Dr. Daniel G. Ezra said in a news release. "The significant association of the two disorders was evident even when we considered and controlled for patients' body-mass index. FES is often considered a disease of ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea/Hypopnea Syndrome