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March 2009
Notes from the Section
- CMS
has announced the final coverage policy for sleep testing for the
diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, including tests performed in a sleep
lab and home-based tests. READ
PRESS RELEASE
- The AARC has learned that
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will be issuing new grants for
health care research as a part of the federal government’s economic
recovery plan. The NIH Challenge Grants in Health and Science will
disburse at least $200 million for studies on a wide range of topics,
including those related to asthma, COPD, and obstructive sleep apnea. Applications
may be submitted between March 27 and April 27. READ MORE
- Did you get out in your
community to mark Sleep Week earlier this month? If so, please E-MAIL
a brief summary, along with a photo or two, to Section Chair Karen Allen.
We’ll feature the submissions in an upcoming issue of our quarterly
Bulletin.
Exercise Relieves PLM
Symptoms
Exercise might be the best medicine
for people who suffer from insomnia or sleep disruptions due to periodic leg
movements (PLM), report Brazilian researchers publishing in the January issue
of Medicine & Science in Sports & Medicine. They assessed the effects
of acute exercise in 22 volunteers with PLM; 11 of the volunteers then
continued to exercise on a regular basis and were evaluated for the effects of
chronic exercise on the condition. Following acute exercise, researchers noted
increased sleep efficiency and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, along with
reduced wake time after sleep onset. People who continued to exercise enjoyed
increased sleep efficiency and REM sleep and a reduction in sleep latency. READ ARTICLE
Studies Shed New Light on
OSA
Three studies published in the
February issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care
Medicine offer new insight into obstructive sleep apnea:
- The first study found a
strong relationship between insulin resistance and sleep-disordered
breathing.
- The second study found
obese people with chronic intermittent hypoxia experience liver problems
in proportion to the severity of their sleep disorder.
- The third study linked
sitting or standing for long periods during the day to sleep apnea.
Researchers speculate the association is related to the fact that fluid
retained in the legs is redistributed to the upper body when someone lies
down to sleep. Some of that fluid could end up in the neck and predispose
the person to upper airway constriction.
The first two studies were
conducted at Johns Hopkins. The third comes from investigators at the University of Toronto. READ ARTICLE
Sleep Apnea-Stroke Risk Explained
Yale University investigators who
previously found a three times higher risk of stroke in people with sleep apnea
are now explaining how the sleep disorder may be causing this risk. The new
study noted lower cerebral blood flow velocity and lower blood oxygen levels
during sleep in people with sleep apnea when compared to people without the
condition. People with sleep apnea were also slower to recover from the
subsequent drop in blood pressure and slower to restore normal blood flow to
the brain, suggesting problems with cerebral autoregulation. Over time, these
factors wear down the brain’s ability to protect itself and can lead to stroke.
The study appeared in the December issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. READ ARTICLE
OSA Drug in the Works
A California company is working on a
new drug aimed at treating OSA. Cortex Pharmaceuticals’ AMPAKINE CX1739 will be
tested in 20 patients in the United Kingdom using a double-blind,
placebo-controlled design. Two previous clinical studies on the medication
found the drug could prevent the depression of breathing induced by an opioid
analgesic, and it also reduced the number and duration of apnea events caused
by the opioid. The company hopes the drug will help OSA patients maintain
normal breathing during sleep by stimulating breathing and increasing muscle
tone in the upper airways. READ ARTICLE
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