Beware of sleep apnea

Severe sleep apnea increases by 46 percent the risk of premature death, according to a new U.S. study.

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by a collapse of the upper airway while a person sleeps. The loud snoring can be a symptom, but showing the difference are a series of brief interruptions in breathing during sleep.

The team of Naresh Punjabi of Johns Hopkins University, and his team studied 6,400 men and women at an interval of eight years. Those who began with severe sleep apnea were found to be 46 percent more likely to die from any cause beyond the age, sex, race, weight or smoking, according to the authors tell in the journal PLoS Medicine. In addition, men from 40 to 70 years with severe respiratory disorder were twice as likely to die from any cause than men of similar age but without the respiratory problem.

According to another study by Spanish experts and collected in the book "Sleep Medicine" the most common sleep disorder is insomnia (20% of the population), followed by sleep apnea syndrome, who suffer from 3 to 5% of people aged between 40 and 60.


Related:
Head and neck cancers smoking increases
Surgical Treatment Of Sleep Apnea And Jaw Deformities

These recordings are compiled into a system that grades the severity of the sleep apnea called an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). Patients with OSA are first treated nonsurgically: Many respond well to positional therapy

New Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Sleep Apnea By Analysing Snoring

Led by Dr Udantha Abeyratne from the School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, the team has developed a non-invasive way of diagnosing Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Caused by the collapse of the upper air passage ... “The standard treatment for OSA is home-based Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy,” Dr Hukins said.

Sexual dysfunction in women
Alternative Sleep Apnea Treatments

Dental therapies are only for those who are experiencing mild cases of sleep apnea. The mandibular advancement splint (MAS) is an oral appliance that is similar to a mouth guard.

Beyond obsession obsessive compulsive disorder
Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Remotely controlled mandibular positioner predicts efficacy of oral appliances in sleep apnea.