Sleep Apnea Blog
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Neck Size May Affect Severity of Sleep Apnea
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, June 10 – Though obesity is a known major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, many non-obese people also have the condition, according to the results of a new study.
Among 5,426 non-obese adults (with a body-mass index between 18.5 and 27), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was present in 54 percent. About half of those with the condition had mild cases and half had moderate to severe OSA.
The study found that moderate to severe OSA was most common in middle-age men with larger neck sizes.
The researchers noted that they were surprised to find no significant differences in Epworth Sleepiness Scale results and neck size between non-obese people who did and did not have OSA. The scale is a standardized method of measuring daytime sleepiness. Read more...
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New Options Offered for Sleep Apnea
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
MONDAY, May 18 – Two new treatments – one surgical and the other an appliance that adjusts the jaw – might help people with sleep apnea, which has proven tough to treat.
In sleep apnea, the upper airway becomes blocked, and people stop breathing during sleep, usually in 10- to 20-second bouts that can occur 30 or more times an hour. The problem is usually treated with a device that increases air pressure in the throat, keeping the airway open. Called continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, the therapy involves wearing a mask attached to a machine.
Though effective, many people find it uncomfortable. Read more...
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Simpler Sleep Apnea Treatment Seems Effective, Affordable
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, March 6 – A simpler, less costly method of diagnosing and treating obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is as effective as the traditional protocol that relies on specialist physicians and sleep studies, according to Australian researchers.
People with OSA experience 20 to 30 or more breathing interruptions an hour while they sleep. The condition, which may affect as many as 20 million to 30 million American adults, can cause cardiovascular problems, hypertension and other health issues. Daytime drowsiness caused by OSA also increases the risk of traffic crashes and workplace accidents. Read more...
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Problems Tied to Obesity Also Seem to Affect Sleep
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Jan. 23 – Three conditions often linked to obesity have also been tied independently to sleep apnea, new studies show.
Insulin resistance, the progression of liver disease, and living a less-than-active life were all found to be associated with the common breathing disorder, regardless of people's weight, according to reports published in the February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
A John Hopkins University study found a strong tie between insulin resistance – the body's inability to metabolize glucose – and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), pauses or other abnormalities in breathing while sleeping. Read more...
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Obesity
Sleep Apnea Seems to Wear Down the Brain
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Jan. 15 – Repeated surges and drops in blood pressure and blood flow in the brain might make people with sleep apnea more prone to have a stroke and die in their sleep, a new study says.
The Yale University School of Medicine study found that obstructive sleep apnea causes a decreased blood flow to the brain during episodes. When this happens, the organ's blood pressure rises. And when it happens repeatedly, the brain's ability to protect itself in such situations eventually wears down.
An earlier study by the Yale team found that people with sleep apnea are three times more likely to have a stroke or die than people of similar health who don't have the breathing disorder. Read more...
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
Sleep Apnea May Cause Erectile Dysfunction
Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Sept. 12 – Men with sleep apnea may suffer from a treatable form of erectile dysfunction caused by regular deprivation of oxygen experienced during these episodes of obstructed breathing, a new report says.
University of Louisville researchers found that, in a study of mice, one week of chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) – the lack of oxygen suffered during obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) – resulted in a 55 percent decline in their daily spontaneous erections. After five weeks, the length of time between mice attempts at mating increased on average by 60-fold. Read more...
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
