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New Surgical Treatment For Sleep Apnoea Trialled in Australia

March 7, 2013 in Information, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

A new surgical treatment used to treat sleep apnoea has cured 70 per cent of patients involved in a Flinders Medical Centre study. It is the first time the technique, developed in China, has been properly evaluated.

FMC head of ear, nose and throat surgery, Professor Simon Carney, said the procedure was twice as effective as previous types of surgery.

“Our study of 48 sleep apnoea patients has shown that the technique has significant benefits, with the symptoms of every patient in the study improving,” Prof Carney said.

“The number of pauses in between the breathing of people involved in the study was reduced by 76 per cent and daytime sleepiness reduced by half.”

The hospital was the first in Australia to use the technique after the late Dr Sam Robinson brought it to Australia. The study also involved patients from the Illawarra ENT Head and Neck Clinic in New South Wales. The new technique, which requires only one night in hospital, involves repositioning tissue in the throat with a treatment that creates channels in the tongue.

The older technique was more painful and included the removal of a wedge in the tongue, before sewing it back together. “Often the patient wouldn’t be able to be guaranteed to talk or swallow completely normally afterwards and not surprisingly a lot of patients declined to have the surgery,” Prof Carney said.

“The results weren’t very good for a lot of these patients … only about 30 per cent of these patients got better.”

Prof Carney said the new technique took about 45 minutes and was much more successful.

“The technique is incredibly safe, easily taught and has long term benefits for the management of sleep apnoea within the health system.”

He said about five patients were now undergoing the procedure each month at Flinders and it was becoming available at other SA hospitals. But, he warned the technique was not a replacement for continuous positive airway pressure – a mask worn while sleeping – but an alternative for those where CPAP does not work, or was too intrusive.

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Sleep Apnoea can be Fatal for Middle Aged Executives

February 18, 2013 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

White-collared, globe-trotting executives over the age of 45 need to watch out for sleep apnoea, according to a recent study by the Madras ENT Research Foundation.

“Our estimates show that 24 per cent of men and 9 per cent of women above 45 years in the country suffer from this problem,” says Mohan Kameswaran, Managing Director of the foundation.

Those with obesity, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to sleep apnoea. Smoking, excessive consumption of alcohol and heavy snoring are other risk factors associated with this disorder. It is common among middle-aged working professionals.

“With intense travelling, they have very little time for physical activity and exercise. They do not maintain a good diet. When you are young, your muscle tone is good. But it slows down after 45,” cautions Kameswaran.

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New Study Finds 10% of 6-8 year Olds May Have Sleep Apnoea

December 28, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

Sleep-disordered breathing — which includes snoring and sleep apnea — isn’t just an adult condition: A new study from Finland shows that as many as one in 10 six-to-eight-year-olds may also have it.

The study, which was conducted by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, included 512 kids from Finland between ages six and eight. The researchers examined their sleep disturbance status, as well as how their top and bottom rows of teeth fit together and their face shape (craniofacial morphology). Researchers found that being overweight and obese wasn’t linked with sleep-disordered breathing in kids, as it may be with older adults. Rather, craniofacial or dental issues seemed to be at play, according to the European Journal of Pediatrics study.

“If a child has symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, his or her craniofacial status and dental occlusion need to be examined,” study researcher Tiina Ikävalko, an orthodontic specialist and a clinical lecturer at the university, said in a statement. “On the other hand, children with tonsillar hypertrophy, crossbite and convex facial profile should be examined to assess the quality of their sleep.”

The prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing in kids found in this study is not too different from that previously reported by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, which said that snoring is commonplace in about 10 percent of all kids, and obstructive sleep apnea is prevalent in about 2 to 4 percent of kids.

Potential health risks from sleep-disordered breathing in kids include attention problems, bedwetting, increase in insulin resistance, increase in blood pressure, and even a decrease in growth hormone, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery reported. Since enlarged adenoids and tonsils are a common cause for sleep-disordered breathing in kids, getting these removed could help to treat the condition for some.

See article on Huff Post website and 10 health risks associated with sleep apnoea

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BBC1 Program “Goodnight Britain” Explores Sleeping Disorders on 29 November at 9pm

November 19, 2012 in News releases by admin | No comments

Just want to let you all know that I will be featuring in an upcoming BBC1 program called “Goodnight Britain” on November 29th at 9pm. Should be of interest to sleep apnoea sufferers, and hopefully get the issue some publicity

The program is in two parts. Part 1 is on Wednesday November 28th at 9pm, and part 2 is on Thursday November 29th at 9pm.

“Goodnight Britain tackles the nation’s biggest sleep disorders, meeting and curing some of the UK’s worst sleepers and exposing the extraordinary behaviour that lurks behind Britain’s bedroom curtains.”

“In the first part of a new two-part series presented by Sian Williams, Goodnight Britain’s sleep experts – Dr Kirstie Anderson and Dr Jason Ellis – venture into the bedrooms of five contributors tormented by a range of conditions, from parasomniacs who scream the house down and snorers whose trumpeting rattles the window-panes, to insomniacs who bake six hours a night.

Through the use of high-tech night-vision cameras, the sleep experts observe the secrets of the patients’ sleep problems first hand. But the investigations don’t stop there: the five contributors are also subjected to a night at the Goodnight Britain Sleep House, where every toss, turn and snuffle is monitored using state-of-the-art equipment while they sleep. Only then do the causes of their night-time traumas fully come to light and our experts can begin to devise a treatment plan that just might work.”

From the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2012/48/goodnight-britain-48.html

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Extra Hour in Bed Provides Little Relief for UK Women

November 7, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

As the clocks turned back and British Summer Time (BST) came to an end, millions across the UK enjoyed the benefit of an extra hour in bed. But for many women, this extra hour provided little relief, with a growing number now being diagnosed with the sleep disorder OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnoea).

“A good night’s sleep is essential for our health and wellbeing. However, increasing rates of obstructive sleep apnoea amongst women are posing a significant threat to their quality of sleep, and potentially putting them at risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, stroke, depression and diabetes,” commented Judy Harris of the British Lung Foundation, which is campaigning for better awareness, diagnosis and treatment of people affected by OSA.

Traditionally viewed as a man’s disease, a recent study has suggested that among women aged 20-44, up to one quarter now have sleep apnoea, a figure which rises to more than half in women aged between 45 and 54, and 75 per cent in women aged between 55 and 70.

Whilst women have often been viewed as the ‘gatekeepers’ to their families’ health, and are often the first to recognise the signs and symptoms of sleep disorders in their husbands or bed-partners, increasingly they’re experiencing this debilitating disease for themselves, with symptoms including loud snoring, day time tiredness, poor concentration, headaches, depression and anxiety.”

With mounting evidence of sleep apnoea’s links to serious medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and dementia, it’s vital that we move past the stereotypes that label OSA a ‘man’s disease’ and seek to raise awareness of this potentially deadly disease amongst women in the UK.

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Treating Sleep Apnoea Reduces Blood Pressure in Men with Hypertension

October 18, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

A new study suggests that when prescribed by physicians in routine practise and used appropriately by patients, treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) could reduce blood pressure in men with hypertension.

“All types of patients may benefit from this treatment, even those with other chronic medical conditions,” said Bharati Prasad, MD, MS, the study’s principal investigator. “It’s important to now do a prospective study enrolling different types of patients with sleep apnoea.”

The study, appearing in the issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, examined the effectiveness of obstructive sleep apnoea treatment on high blood pressure and diabetes control in 221 men with preexisting hypertension or type 2 diabetes and a new diagnosis of OSA. Participants received positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy upon treatment initiation.

Results show that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly with initiation of OSA treatment at both the first follow-up, 3-6 months after initiation, and the second follow-up, 9-12 months later.

According to the authors, this is the first study to examine the effectiveness of treatment of obstructive sleep apnea on routine measures of hypertension and diabetes control in a practise-based clinical setting. The results show the real-world effectiveness of OSA treatment on hypertension.

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Sleep Apnoea During Pregnancy Increases Risk to Baby’s Health

September 25, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by admin | No comments

The Daily Mail reports today that women who suffer from sleep apnoea during pregnancy are more likely to have babies who suffer from early health problems according to researchers.

They found babies of mothers with the breathing disorder had a greater risk of needing neonatal intensive care than unaffected mothers. Scientists from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland studied obese pregnant women both with and without obstructive sleep apnoea. They found OSA was also associated with higher rates of pre-eclampsia in the overweight women.

The pregnancy complication causes high blood pressure and for protein to leak into the urine. If untreated it can develop into eclampsia, which is a type of life-threatening seizure. Lead author Dr Judette Louis, from the University of South Florida, said: “Our findings show that obstructive sleep apnea can contribute to poor outcomes for both obese mothers and their babies. Its role as a risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes independent of obesity should be examined more closely.”

Dr Louis and former colleagues from Case Western Reserve, analysed data for 175 obese pregnant women who had been tested for OSA at home using a portable device. Around 15 per cent of the participants had sleep apnoea. These women were heavier on average and more likely to have high blood pressure.

Around 42 per cent of women with sleep apnoea had pre-eclampsia compared to 17 per cent of those without the condition. Meanwhile nearly half (46 per cent ) of babies born to women with sleep apnoea needed intensive care treatment compared to 17 per cent of the other overweight mothers. Many of these admissions were due to respiratory distress.

Finally, 65 per cent of the women with sleep apnoea required a caesaeran section compared to a third of those without the condition. Premature birth rates were similar between the groups. Approximately one in five women are obese when they become pregnant in the U.S,  according to research from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are no stats available for the UK.

The study has been published online in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

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Half of Women Found to Suffer From Sleep Apnoea

September 13, 2012 in Research, Sleep Apnoea, Uncategorized by admin | No comments

The European Respiratory Journal reports that fully half of the 400 women given overnight sleep tests in a new Swedish study turned out to have mild-to-severe sleep apnea.

In the random population sample of adult women who answered a questionnaire and were monitored while sleeping, half experienced at least five episodes an hour when they stopped breathing for longer than 10 seconds, the minimum definition of sleep apnea.

Among women with hypertension or who were obese – two risk factors for sleep apnea – the numbers were even higher, reaching 80 to 84 percent of women. Many of the women in the study represent mild cases of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is tied to a higher risk of stroke, heart attack and early death. One recent study also found that women who have sleep apnea are more likely to develop memory problems and dementia. Franklin said his group wanted to get updated evidence of how common the condition is.

The researchers selected 400 women between the ages of 20 and 70 from a larger population sample of 10,000, and asked them to sleep overnight at home with sensors attached to their bodies. The sensors measured heart rate, eye and leg movements, blood oxygen levels, air flow and brain waves.

Each apnea event was defined by at a least a 10-second pause in breathing accompanied by a drop in blood oxygen levels. Women who had an average of five or more of these events during each hour of sleep were considered to have sleep apnea. The study, which was funded by the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation, found that apnea became more common in the older age groups.

Among women aged 20-44, one quarter had sleep apnea, compared to 56 percent of women aged 45-54 and 75 percent of women aged 55-70. Severe sleep apnea, which involves more than 30 breathing disruptions per hour, was far less common. Just 4.6 percent of women 45-54 and 14 percent of women 55-70 had severe cases. Among women of all ages with hypertension, 14 percent had severe sleep apnea, and among women who were obese, 19 percent had severe apnea.

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Snore Centre Patient eNewsletter September 2011

October 3, 2011 in eNewsletter, Snore Centre by Michael Oko | No comments

The September issue is now out:

Snore Centre Patient eNewsletter September 2011

 

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Philips Respironics Launches “The Clinical Advantage” Newsletter

September 4, 2011 in Research, Sleep Apnoea by Michael Oko | No comments

Philips Respironics has released the first issue of Philips Respironics Clinical Newsletter, Philips Respironics – The Clinical Advantage.

The Clinical Advantage is designed to bring you up to date clinical information on a current topic of interest. Each issue will cover a specific theme and include an editorial by Dr David White, and externally written feature articles, case studies and reviews of ongoing research by leading physicians. Dr White writes:

“Welcome to the first edition of Philips Respironics’ newsletter The Clinical Advanage. This is a newsletter dedicated to keeping you up to date with clinical information and new clinical literature regarding sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been the engine that has driven the remarkable growth of the sleep field over the last 25 years. Although the medical community and the general public have been interested in the performance and quality-of-life problems that result from sleep apnea, the real concern has been the potential relationship between OSA and the cardiovascular system.

“The theme of the first issue is SDB and Cardiovascular disease and includes a feature article by Dr Michael Arzt (Germany). Michael Arzt summarizes the current state of the literature regarding the association between OSA and cardiovascular disease and points out many of the areas where controversy still remains. Case studies are also presented which develop several of these themes further. However, this controversy will not end until adequately powered, randomized, controlled, clinical trials are conducted addressing this issue. At last, several such studies are underway.”

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