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Sleep Apnea May Be Tied to 'Silent' Strokes, Study Finds
Posted 12 days ago 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
Women Suffer From Sleep Apnea, Raised Heart Risks, Too
Posted 16 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Jan. 16 – Just as it does in men, obstructive sleep apnea can raise the risk for women of dying from heart attacks and having other cardiovascular problems, a new Spanish study indicates. However, treating severe apnea at night with a system called CPAP – continuous positive airway pressure – can also help reduce the risk of heart attack deaths in women with apnea, just it can in men, the researchers report. Sleep apnea – characterized by repeated interruptions of breathing during sleep – affects many more men than women, but up to 3 percent of middle-aged women have the disorder. One common symptom is snoring. Most patients have daytime sleepiness because of the sleep disorder. However, little research has focused on women until now. "Women with untreated severe obstructive sleep apnea have a three-and-a-half-fold increase in the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
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
Sleep Apnea Could Up Risk of Dementia In Elderly Women
Posted 9 Aug 2011 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Aug. 9 – Elderly women who experience sleep apnea have a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia, new research finds. The study found that elderly women who began the study without dementia had 85 percent higher odds of developing mild cognitive impairment or dementia over the next five years if they had 15 or more sleep apnea events per hour of sleep. "This was a prospective study of elderly women followed over time to understand the relationship of sleep apnea and cognitive impairment or dementia," explained study co-author Dr. Susan Redline, a researcher in the division of sleep medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. "We found a very high prevalence of untreated sleep apnea – about one third of the women had sleep apnea, and those women had about an 80 percent increased risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia during the ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
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
Weight Loss May Help Sleep Apnea Symptoms
Posted 6 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 6 – Many people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea could eliminate the condition by losing a significant amount of weight, a new study suggests. Without realizing it, people with sleep apnea wake up multiple times throughout the night as they struggle to breathe. The condition can cause severe daytime tiredness and other symptoms. In many cases, patients are treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment that uses a machine to keep their airways open during sleep. According to Dr. Virend Somers, a professor of medicine and cardiovascular diseases at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., there seems to be a connection between sleep apnea and extra pounds. But exactly how they're related is not exactly clear, he said. "Although the majority of patients are obese, not everyone with sleep apnea is obese," said Somers, who was not involved with the new ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
Exercise Helps Men Battling Diabetes and Sleep Apnea
Posted 6 Jun 2011 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 6 – Men who have type 2 diabetes in addition to obstructive sleep apnea seem to benefit from a regular exercise regimen, a new study has found. Greater endurance from consistent physical activity can significantly boost survival rates for men with both conditions, researchers found. The findings are significant since the prevalence of sleep apnea, which commonly occurs in people with diabetes and high blood pressure, is on the rise, the study authors noted. "Recent findings suggest that patients with sleep apnea have an increased risk of dying of any cause compared with individuals without sleep apnea," study co-author Dr. Skikha Khosla, an endocrinologist at the Washington, D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center and George Washington University, said in a news release from the Endocrine Society. Good exercise capacity has already been linked to a lower risk of death in ... Read more
Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, Sleep Apnea
Sleep Disorder Linked to Heart Rhythm Problems
Posted 20 May 2011 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, May 20 – People with an implantable cardiac defibrillator and a breathing disorder that occurs during sleep are at greater risk for potentially deadly heart problems during the night, new research suggests. An implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) is a device that monitors heart rhythm and corrects an abnormal heartbeat with an electrical shock. The new study revealed a significant increase in cases of ventricular tachycardia (a dangerous rapid heartbeat) and ventricular fibrillation (a severely abnormal heart rhythm) among patients with ICDs who also were diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing. In the study, published in the May issue of the journal HeartRhythm, researchers in Israel analyzed 45 patients with ICDs in an overnight sleep study and followed them over the course of one year. Twenty-six of the study participants (57.8 percent) had sleep-disordered breathing, ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea, Ventricular Arrhythmia
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 May Shrink Brain's Gray Matter: Study
Posted 14 Nov 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Nov. 12 – Obstructive sleep apnea may cause structural defects in the brain's gray matter, resulting in problems with cognitive functions such as attention and memory, a new study suggests. These brain changes are likely caused by the intermittent oxygen deprivation that occurs in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), who temporarily stop breathing many times each night. A small Italian study of 17 patients with OSA and 15 age-matched controls found reduced gray matter in the OSA group in several key regions of the brain connected with abstract reasoning and executive function, along with deficits in the left cortex, which were shown to be linked to daytime sleepiness. The participants in the OSA group also had impaired memory, attention, executive function, and constructional abilities, as well as higher sleepiness scores. However, the brain changes are partially or fully ... Read more
Related support groups: Sleep Apnea
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