June 2013
Nominate a Peer for Specialty Practitioner of the Year
The deadline for nominating a fellow section member for our 2013 Specialty Practitioner of the Year Award is July 31, so start brainstorming worthy candidates and then nominate them using the nomination form on our SECTION WEBSITE.
Asthma May Increase Risk for OSA
Could asthma be another risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)? According to investigators from the University of Wisconsin, the answer may be yes. Using data on 773 enrollees in the long-running Wisconsin Sleep Cohort Study who did not have OSA at baseline, they found those with asthma were 1.70 times more likely to develop OSA after eight years. They also found that the longer a person had had asthma, the greater his chances of developing OSA. For every five-year increase in asthma duration, the chances of developing OSA after eight years increased by 10%. The study was adjusted to take other factors that could influence the development of OSA into account. The investigators presented their findings at the ATS 2013 International Conference. READ PRESS RELEASE
Cardiovascular Risk May be Raised by Minimally Symptomatic OSA
Researchers conducting the MOSAIC trial find minimally symptomatic OSA could be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, despite treatment with CPAP. They reached that conclusion after studying 253 patients who were randomized to CPAP or standard care. While CPAP treatment significantly improved endothelial function, particularly in patients who used their CPAP for more than four hours per night, arterial stiffness was not changed by the therapy. The study was published ahead of print by CHEST on May 23. READ ABSTRACT
Zaleplon Doesn’t Improve CPAP Compliance
A single dose of zaleplon immediately before CPAP titration does not improve adherence to CPAP at one month, report researchers from the Mayo Clinic. They tested the use of the medication in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial involving 134 newly diagnosed OSA patients who were undergoing an initial split-night polysomnography. Seventy-three of the patients were randomized to zaleplon while 63 received placebo. Based on complete follow up data on 44 patients in the zaleplon group and 39 in the placebo group, the researchers found CPAP use was 6.5 hours per day in both groups. No significant differences were seen in the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire or Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores as well. The authors conclude, “Our data show that zaleplon is safe and is associated with shorter sleep latency during CPAP titration, but it does not translate into improved short-term CPAP adherence.” The study was published in the May 15 edition of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. READ ABSTRACT
Nasal Surgery Can Up CPAP Compliance
CPAP compliance is often hindered by complaints of nasal obstruction. Canadian researchers find surgery to relieve the obstruction can help. In their study of 18 patients who underwent septoplasty plus inferior turbinoplasty, CPAP compliance increased from 0.5 hours per night to five hours per night. Other measures improved as well, with subjective nasal obstruction on the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale dropping from 16.1 preoperatively to 5.4 following surgical intervention and CPAP pressure decreasing from 11.9 to 9.2. The authors conclude, “Correction of nasal obstruction should be offered in nasal CPAP-intolerant individuals to improve CPAP compliance.” The study was published ahead of print by Laryngoscope on April 10. READ ABSTRACT
