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Hyoid Suspension + UPP Is Efficacious For Multilevel Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients

Hyoid Suspension + UPP Is Efficacious For Multilevel Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients is available on https://www.ellymackay.com/

Siesta Medical Inc, a provider of minimally invasive implants and tools for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), announced the online publication of a recent study of its AIRLIFT procedure titled “Hyoid Suspension With UPPP for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea” in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal.

This multicenter study evaluated the safety and efficacy of AIRLIFT hyoid suspension when combined with procedures for the palate on 39 patients treated at 3 centers. The median apnea hypopnea index (AHI) reduction was 74% while the AHI was reduced from 49.9 preoperatively to 15.4 after treatment. All patients saw a positive drop in their AHI assessment and 84% of patients with severe sleep apnea improved to mild or moderate sleep apnea. In addition, the efficacy of the procedure appeared to independent of body mass index (BMI), even in very high BMI patients.

[RELATED: Siesta Medical Launches the Suture Passer for Use with Its Encore System]

AIRLIFT hyoid suspension, which does not have indication limitations for airway anatomy, BMI, or obstructive sleep apnea severity, is used to treat airway obstructions primarily in the hypopharynx. With thousands of patients treated, AIRLIFT hyoid suspension provides immediate therapy, treats the entire hypopharynx, and works without the need for ongoing patient compliance.

Jason Van Tassel, MD, with Washington Hospital in Fremont, Calif, a specialist in the surgical treatment of sleep apnea says in a release,“AIRLIFT hyoid suspension is one of my primary procedures and this study confirms my own long experience in performing sleep surgery. You can improve the airway for a wide range of sleep apnea sufferers that are unable to use CPAP.”

Ryan Nord, MD, director of sleep surgery with Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, says in a release,“OSA patients have long sought alternatives to CPAP when that therapy does not work for them. I am happy to be working in sleep surgery at a time when our treatments are getting recognized for the meaningful impact they have for patients. The AIRLIFT is part of my approach. It’s simple, reproducible, and effective.”

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/therapy-devices/sleep-apnea-combination-therapy/hyoid-suspension-upp-efficacious/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/04/05/hyoid-suspension-upp-is-efficacious-for-multilevel-obstructive-sleep-apnea-patients/

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FDA Approves Inspire Medical’s New Physician Programmer Platform

FDA Approves Inspire Medical’s New Physician Programmer Platform is republished from https://www.ellymackay.com

The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved a new Inspire Medical Systems Inc physician programmer platform for Inspire Upper Airway Stimulation. The most significant enhancement associated with this approval is the new telemetry cable that enables Bluetooth connectivity to the programmer tablet.

“In addition to the recently announced approval for the Inspire two-incision procedure, the launch of our new physician programmer platform further demonstrates our long-term commitment to patients through Inspire’s continued investment in our innovative technologies,” says Tim Herbert, president and CEO of Inspire Medical Systems, in a release. “The new Inspire physician programmer platform provides multiple key benefits for physicians when managing their patients’ sleep apnea treatment with Inspire therapy.”

[RELATED: Why I Choose Neurostimulators for Some of My Sleep Apnea Patients]

The new platform provides four key enhancements over the existing product.

The new design incorporates guided workflows, which direct clinicians step-by-step through the patient management process from initial Inspire activation, to titration sleep studies, and all the way through long-term patient follow-up visits.

A new programmer cable has been introduced that provides additional flexibility, comfort, and ease of use with a new night-mode that utilizes IR illumination for sleep studies, significantly improved telemetry range, comprehensive user feedback, as well as incorporating new on-cable controls.

The platform interfaces with Inspire Cloud and supports the upload of patient reports for longitudinal patient management and further expands the Inspire digital ecosystem.

The new Inspire physician programmer is the foundation for Inspire’s physician platform of the future. The programmer cable is field-upgradable to support future products, such as the development-stage Inspire V neurostimulator. This new platform also supports further Inspire Cloud integration, providing for potential remote programming, which is also currently under development effort.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/therapy-devices/neurostimulators/fda-approves-inspire-medical-physician-programmer-platform/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/04/01/fda-approves-inspire-medicals-new-physician-programmer-platform/

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Dramatic Increases Seen in Rates of Insomnia & Sleep Apnea Among US Military

Dramatic Increases Seen in Rates of Insomnia & Sleep Apnea Among US Military is courtesy of Elly Mackay's Sleep Blog

Insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea have increased dramatically among active-duty military members over a 14-year period, 2005 through 2019.

Insomnia increased 45-fold and sleep apnea went up more than 30-fold, according to a study led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and published in Sleep.

The study found that the most likely military member to be diagnosed with either sleep disorder was married, male, white, a higher-ranking enlisted Army service member, and age 40 or older.

The researchers compared medical codes that represent diagnosis of sleep apnea or insomnia in active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force personnel. No medical code data was available for the Coast Guard or for the Space Force, which was established in December 2019.

“Other studies have been conducted in the past, but those were based more on self-reported surveys or focused on a single branch of the military. No one has studied these sleep disorders in multiple branches of the military before, based on universally used diagnostic medical codes from health records,” says principal investigator Vincent Mysliwiec, MD, in a release. Mysliwiec is a sleep medicine physician and professor of research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UT Health San Antonio, and a retired U.S. Army colonel.

“The most surprising result was that military members in the Army had the highest rates of obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia diagnoses. These findings are concerning because service members across the military branches are otherwise healthy and have similar physical requirements. Their sleep disorders developed and were diagnosed while they were in the military,” Mysliwiec says.

Lower Rate Seen in Women

Another finding was that women were diagnosed for sleep disorders at a much lower rate than men. Women in the military were expected to have lower rates of sleep apnea than their male counterparts; however, women in the military were not expected to have lower rates of insomnia diagnoses. “This conflicts with the rate of insomnia diagnoses among female veterans and in civilian women, which are higher,” he says.

A 2017 Department of Veterans Affairs study published in Women’s Health Issues showed that more than half of female veterans reported in a postal survey that they have insomnia. “We were not expecting to find that women are potentially underdiagnosed for insomnia while they are on active duty,” Mysliwiec says. “This is a concerning finding. We will need to conduct more research to better understand what contributes to the potential underdiagnosis of insomnia in active-duty women.”

[RELATED: Nearly 1 in 3 Military Personnel Meet Criteria for Nightmare Disorder]

Long Deployments

Study co-author Alan Peterson, PhD, adds perspective to the large number of Army personnel who were diagnosed with sleep disorders. “While military deployments were not evaluated in this epidemiological study, previous research has shown a strong correlation between deployments and sleep disorders, and deployments combined with other chronic health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury,” he says. Peterson is professor of psychiatry and chief of the Division of Behavioral Medicine and director of two national military PTSD research consortia based at UT Health San Antonio.

“In the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there were longer and more frequent deployments between 2008 and 2012. The Army typically had the longest and most frequent deployments—21 months—compared to 12 to 16 months for the other services,” he says.

“While we don’t know yet exactly why Army personnel were more likely to be diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea or insomnia, another factor besides deployments could be that Army personnel have greater access to large medical centers, which are typically located on Army posts. In contrast, Marines rely on Navy medical facilities that may not be where they are serving.

“Another factor that could have influenced the results is that the Army was the first service to institute a service-wide education program on military sleep practices. Having greater access to medical facilities and the Army’s emphasis on education about sleep disorders may have resulted in more soldiers recognizing their sleep disturbances and seeking appropriate treatment.

“Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the two most common sleep disorders in the US military and contributes to sleep research that opens the door to learning more about the causes for these diagnoses. This will lead to more targeted prevention strategies and more effective treatments.”

Photo 27066815 © Joe Sohm – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/demographics/career/dramatic-increases-insomnia-sleep-apnea-military/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/04/01/dramatic-increases-seen-in-rates-of-insomnia-sleep-apnea-among-us-military/

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Vivos Therapeutics Makes Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Via Telemedicine Available to Dentists That Use Its Sleep Apnea Therapy System

Vivos Therapeutics Makes Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Via Telemedicine Available to Dentists That Use Its Sleep Apnea Therapy System is available on Elly Mackay

Medical technology company Vivos Therapeutics Inc, which makes the Vivos System oral appliances and protocols for mild-to-moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), will launch a new telemedicine service called MyoCorrect. On MyoCorrect, trained therapists will provide Vivos-trained providers access to orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) via telemedicine technology as a component to OSA treatment using the company’s Vivos System.

Vivos expects to see additional revenue from the MyoCorrect service in the form of increased Vivos System cases and fees charged for the service. Vivos believes the MyoCorrect service will become an important value-added component in the treatment of OSA using the Vivos System. Vivos further believes that offering orofacial myofunctional therapy as a service will provide Vivos with an additional competitive advantage in the OSA treatment marketplace.

OMT therapists work to strengthen and improve function in the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks and face and their related roles in breathing, sucking, chewing, swallowing, and some aspects of speech. Vivos plans to make the MyoCorrect protocol available as a component of the Vivos System and will actively integrate training and implementation protocols for Vivos trained dentists to utilize the MyoCorrect therapy.

[RELATED: Can Obstructive Sleep Apnea Be Prevented? An Integrative Orthodontist Says, In Some Cases, Yes]

Vivos-trained dentists who have actively incorporated OMT into their Vivos System treatment protocols report four primary benefits:

higher case acceptance,

better patient compliance,

shorter treatment times, and

improved clinical outcomes.

But due to scarcity of trained orofacial myofunctional therapy therapists in many areas and other factors, many dentists and patients have been unable to access this adjunctive therapy. MyoCorrect will provide every Vivos dentist with immediate access via telemedicine to this clinical resource.

“The launch of this new service is an important step for Vivos as we continue to offer what we believe are the best therapeutic options available for patients who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing and the most prevalent forms of obstructive sleep apnea. We believe we will be able to leverage our current infrastructure and growing dentist network for rapid deployment and adoption of the MyoCorrect OMT therapy,” says Kirk Huntsman, Vivos’ chairman and CEO, in a release. “As Vivos-trained dentists come to experience the ways in which OMT can enhance their Vivos System case outcomes, we expect the adoption rate of MyoCorrect as an integral part of the Vivos System to rise. As that happens, the revenue contributions of MyoCorrect to Vivos in the form of increased Vivos System sales as well as fees charged for the OMT service could be significant.

“We look forward to rolling out MyoCorrect across our network in the coming months. We believe this clinical enhancement to our flagship Vivos System treatment for mild-to-moderate OSA will work synergistically within the emerging Vivos dental sleep medicine ecosystem. This ecosystem features extensive clinical training through the Institute for Craniofacial Sleep Medicine, Vivos AireO2 practice management software, Vivos Airway Intelligence Services, Vivos Billing Intelligence Services, VivoScore diagnostic devices powered by SleepImage, our proprietary Vivos System oral appliance therapy, and multidisciplinary collaboration between physicians and Vivos dentists through the growing network of Vivos-trained dentist offices and Pneusomnia clinics.”

The launch of MyoCorrect follows the acquisition by Vivos of certain assets from and the entry into related agreements with MyoCorrect LLC and its affiliates. MyoCorrect LLC is a healthcare provider based in New York that specializes in the delivery of orofacial myofunctional therapy via telemedicine.

Photo 212561656 © Elnur – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/therapy-devices/sleep-apnea-combination-therapy/vivos-orofacial-myofunctional-therapy-dentists/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/03/31/vivos-therapeutics-makes-orofacial-myofunctional-therapy-via-telemedicine-available-to-dentists-that-use-its-sleep-apnea-therapy-system/

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AASM Announces 2021 Award Recipients

The blog article AASM Announces 2021 Award Recipients was initially seen on www.ellymackay.com

Four members of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) have been selected as 2021 AASM awards recipients for their contributions to the field of sleep medicine. This year’s award winners will be recognized during the plenary session at the Virtual SLEEP 2021 annual meeting on Thursday, June 10.

“I congratulate all four of our impressive award recipients, who are recognized for excellence in sleep medicine through clinical practice, research, education, and advocacy,” says AASM president Kannan Ramar, MBBS, MD, in a release. “Their expertise and leadership uphold the mission of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine of advancing sleep care and enhancing sleep health to improve lives.”

The 2021 AASM award recipients, who were selected by the AASM board of directors, are:

M. Safwan Badr, MD, MBA, FAASM Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award for dedication to the sleep field and significant contributions in the areas of administration, public relations and government affairs

Badr is professor and chair of internal medicine at the Wayne State University School of Medicine and staff physician at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit. As a member of the AASM for more than 30 years, Badr has been a leading advocate for promoting high quality, patient-centered sleep care. He served as president of the AASM from 2013-2014, challenging the AASM to consider new paradigms of care that would achieve the Triple Aim through integrated, value-based models. He was the founding director of the Wayne State University School of Medicine sleep medicine fellowship program and has mentored numerous trainees and junior faculty members who have launched successful academic careers, and he continues to support young physician scientists as a faculty member for the AASM Young Investigators Research Forum and as a mentor in the AASM Foundation’s Sleep Research Program for Advancing Careers. Badr’s own research has advanced the understanding of ventilatory control and airway mechanics during sleep. He currently serves on the board of directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Terri Weaver, PhD, RN, FAASM William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award for exceptional initiative and progress in the areas of sleep education and academic research

Weaver is dean and professor of nursing at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Nursing and professor in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep & Allergy at UIC. She also has professor emerita status at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is a visiting professor at Peking University School of Nursing in Beijing. Her lasting impact on sleep medicine includes her research on the effect of daytime sleepiness on daily behaviors and her development of the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire. The first nurse to serve on the AASM board of directors, Weaver paved the way for advanced practice providers to become more involved in the AASM, and her work on the AASM Foundation Development Council helped expand career development programs for sleep and circadian researchers. As a leader, educator, and mentor, she has helped shape the careers of countless nurses and sleep medicine professionals.

[RELATED: Sleep Research Society Announces 2021 Award Recipients]

Scott Williams, MD, FAASM Excellence in Education Award for outstanding contributions in the teaching of sleep medicine

Lieutenant Colonel Scott Williams is the director for medicine at the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia, and an associate professor of medicine and psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). Williams is dedicated to enhancing the professional development of the entire sleep team. As co-chair of the Sleep ISR Gold Standard Panel, he has helped sleep technologists develop proficiency in scoring sleep studies, and he helped develop an educational track for sleep technologists at the SLEEP annual meeting when he served as chair of the AASM Sleep Technologist and Respiratory Therapist Education Committee. Williams also has educated key decision makers about the importance of sleep as part of the Surgeon General’s Performance Triad Sleep Working group, as consultant to the White House Medical Unit, and as acting consultant to the Army Surgeon General for Sleep Medicine.

Indira Gurubhagavatula, MD, MPH Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy or Advocacy Award for developing public policy that positively affects the healthy sleep of all Americans

Gurubhagavatula is associate professor of clinical medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, director of the sleep medicine fellowship at Penn, and director of the sleep medicine clinic at the Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia. Her work includes screening for sleep apnea in high-risk populations, such as commercial truck drivers, law enforcement officers, and those with cardiovascular disease. Gurubhagavatula has authored scientific publications and documents to guide policy for professional and governmental organizations regarding the management of obstructive sleep apnea in commercial drivers and has served as a consultant for federal organizations that address drowsy driving. She served as chair of the AASM Sleep and Transportation Safety Task Force, Occupational Sleep Wellness Presidential Committee, and Public Safety Committee; co-chair of the Work Shift Length Guidance Task Force; and presently serves as chair of the COVID-19 Task Force. Her work on these committees addressed key safety issues such as drowsy driving, school start times, daylight saving time, physician burnout, shift work, and mitigating the transmission of COVID-19 in sleep centers.

Photo 132867545 © Thamrongpat Theerathammakorn – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/prevailing-attitudes/academies-associations/aasm-2021-award-recipients/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/03/31/aasm-announces-2021-award-recipients/

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Veterans’ Sleep-Related PTSD Symptoms Improve with Transcendental Meditation

Veterans’ Sleep-Related PTSD Symptoms Improve with Transcendental Meditation is courtesy of The Elly Mackay Blog

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who practiced the Transcendental Meditation technique showed significant reductions in symptom severity, according to a new study published in Journal of Traumatic Stress. Fifty percent of the meditating veterans no longer met criteria for PTSD after three months compared to only 10% of controls. The randomized controlled study also showed significant reductions in veterans’ symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as sleep difficulties.

“Transcendental Meditation is a non-trauma-focused, easy-to-learn technique that was found in this study to improve PTSD symptoms, likely through the experience of physical rest,” says Mayer Bellehsen, PhD, director of the Unified Behavioral Health Center for Military Veterans and their Families, Northwell Health, and study principal investigator, in a release. “In contrast to commonly administered therapies for PTSD that are trauma-focused and based on a patient’s recall of past traumatic experiences, this intervention does not require extensive review of traumatic history, which some individuals find difficult to engage in. This intervention may therefore be more tolerable for some individuals struggling with PTSD.”

The randomized controlled trial, conducted at Northwell Health in Bay Shore, NY, assigned 40 veterans with documented PTSD to either the Transcendental Meditation (TM) group or treatment as usual control group. The TM treatment provided 16 sessions over 12 weeks, with twice-a-day daily home practice. PTSD symptom severity was assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), and patient self-report with the PTSD Checklist for DSM -5 (PCL-5).

[RELATED: Why PTSD Patients Should be Tested for Obstructive Sleep Apnea]

The results showed large effect sizes, indicating a strong Transcendental Meditation treatment impact in reducing trauma symptoms for both PTSD measures. Other factors associated with trauma, such as depression and anxiety symptoms and sleep problems, also showed a strong impact of TM treatment.

“This trial corroborates the findings of a large clinical trial published in The Lancet Psychiatry,” says Sanford Nidich, EdD, director of the Center for Social-Emotional Health at Maharishi International University Research Institute, and study co-investigator, in a release. “The current study further supports the effectiveness of Transcendental Meditation as a first-line treatment for PTSD in veterans. The availability of an additional evidence-based therapy will benefit veterans, both by offering them a greater range of options and by serving as an alternative treatment strategy for those who don’t want to engage in trauma-focused treatment or who aren’t responding to a previous PTSD intervention.”

The authors point out in their research paper that Transcendental Meditation may positively affect trauma symptom severity through the reduction of hyperarousal symptoms. Previous research has shown that TM practice decreases physiological responses to stressful stimuli. In addition, recent research indicates that Transcendental Meditation may improve resilience and positive coping strategies, providing further benefit to both veterans and active military personnel.

Photo 162821458 © Bumbleedee – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/demographics/career/veterans-sleep-related-ptsd-symptoms-transcendental-meditation/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/03/30/veterans-sleep-related-ptsd-symptoms-improve-with-transcendental-meditation/

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Temple Researchers to Explore Sleep & COPD Connection in African Americans

Temple Researchers to Explore Sleep & COPD Connection in African Americans was initially seen on https://www.ellymackay.com

Much of the burden of lung disease is disproportionately spread across populations of non-Hispanic whites, particularly African Americans who smoke. Researchers at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) are now working to understand why smoking is inordinately detrimental to lung health in African Americans, thanks to a $30,000 grant from the CHEST Foundation, a patient-focused philanthropic arm for the American College of Chest Physicians.

“We are interested in finding out how sleep modifies the effects of smoking behavior on lung health and exercise tolerance in African Americans as compared to Caucasian smokers,” says Andrew J. Gangemi, MD, assistant professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at LKSOM, in a release.

[RELATED: STOP-BANG Misses Sleep Apnea in Black Patients]

The research is part of a larger, ongoing project led by Aditi Satti, MD, professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery and professor in the Center for Asian Health at LKSOM. Satti’s work, made possible by a $3 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), is focused on identifying potential associations between sleep deficiency, smoking, and lung health disparities in African American adults who are considered to be at high risk of lung disease.

“The expected outcome from this work is a clearer, multi-level, understanding of sleep in at-risk African Americans and the extent to which sleep is an upstream, central risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) progression in African American smokers,” Satti says in a release. “Given that COPD is one of the fastest growing diseases in African American adults and that this population is more likely to get COPD even with smoking fewer cigarettes, finding new ways to prevent COPD and its progression is important.”

In a paper published in April 2020 in the journal CHEST, Gangemi and Satti and colleagues described an association between longer sleep duration and better functional exercise capacity in African American smokers at risk for COPD. “Essentially, we found that longer and better-quality sleep could improve daytime exercise tolerance in heavier smokers to the same extent as an inhaled medication,” Gangemi says in a release. The findings highlight a potentially significant interplay between lung health and smoking, sleep patterns, and activity in African Americans.

Enrollment in the CHEST study at Temple is now open.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/demographics/race-ethnicity/temple-researchers-sleep-copd-african-americans/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/03/30/temple-researchers-to-explore-sleep-copd-connection-in-african-americans/

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Nonin Launches Single-Use Accessories for WristOx2 3150 Pulse Oximeters

Nonin Launches Single-Use Accessories for WristOx2 3150 Pulse Oximeters is courtesy of EllyMackay.com

Nonin Medical Inc has launched two new disposable products for its WristOx2 3150 wrist-worn pulse oximeter—a single-use wristband and a sensor.

The new single-use accessories offer secure placement on a patient’s wrist or finger and can be used for extended wear for pulse oximetry and pulse rate monitoring. The new disposable solutions are primarily used during overnight oximetry, home sleep studies, and by sleep lab clinicians. Hospitals and clinics that conduct walk tests during pulmonary rehabilitation, in any patient care modality that calls for long-term wear, or care settings that require a patient to be ambulatory, may also benefit from the single-use accessories.

[RELATED: In Sleep Oximetry, Not All Oximeters Perform Alike]

“Launching the cost-effective single-use wristbands and sensors is another new high-quality solution from Nonin. We realize it’s critical to address both patient and healthcare professional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Christine Horton, vice president of global marketing, in a release. “Many areas of the global healthcare system rapidly integrated additional infection control protocols that will likely remain in place long after the pandemic. Introducing solutions that work across multiple patient populations and with the requirements of infection control protocols to help ease the burden on healthcare providers, while continuing to deliver high quality and safe care to all patients.”

Featuring Nonin PureSAT SpO2 technology, the WristOx2 Bluetooth and USB models deliver oxygen saturation and pulse rate readings, even in conditions like low perfusion and motion, regardless of skin pigmentation. The WristOx2 is compatible with a wide range of Nonin PureLight LED sensors, including the newest single-use sensor, and provides continuous, reliable SpO2 monitoring and data recording.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-diagnostics/in-lab-tests/polysomnography/nonin-single-use-accessories-wristox2-3150-pulse-oximeters/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2021/03/30/nonin-launches-single-use-accessories-for-wristox2-3150-pulse-oximeters/

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How to Treat Patients with Chronic Insomnia Disorder

The following blog article How to Treat Patients with Chronic Insomnia Disorder is available on https://www.ellymackay.com

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine publishes a guideline that evaluates single- and multi-component behavioral and psychological therapies for patients who experience months-long problems falling or staying asleep.

By Jane Kollmer

Millions of people—about 10% of the US adult population—experience chronic insomnia.1

“Chronic insomnia disorder is different than a bad night of sleep here and then,” says Jennifer L. Martin, PhD, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Those with chronic insomnia haven’t been sleeping well for months, and it impacts their functioning during the day.”

A person with chronic insomnia disorder will regularly experience fatigue or sleepiness; feel dissatisfied with sleep; have trouble concentrating; feel depressed, anxious, or irritable; and have low motivation or energy.

The treatment of chronic insomnia disorder using behavioral and psychological therapy in adult patients is the subject of a new clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). The new recommendations, which were written by a task force of experts in sleep medicine (including sleep psychology), are intended to help healthcare providers select the most appropriate treatment for patients with chronic insomnia disorder.2

The task force evaluated the best available treatment options among both single- and multi-component interventions. The included interventions were cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), brief therapies for insomnia, stimulus control, sleep restriction therapy, relaxation training, sleep hygiene, biofeedback, paradoxical intention, intensive sleep retraining, and mindfulness.

The task force assessed the evidence for each using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Methodology.3 They formed the recommendations based on the following considerations:

a systematic review of scientific literature and the quality of evidence;

the balance of clinically relevant benefits and harms;

patient values and preferences; and

resource use.

The treatment supported by the most evidence was CBT-I, a patient-centered, multi-component approach that combines one or more cognitive therapy strategies with education about sleep regulation plus behavioral strategies such as stimulus control instructions and sleep restriction therapy. CBT-I also often includes sleep hygiene education, relaxation training, and other counter-arousal methods. Treatment typically involves between four and eight sessions. Progress is tracked using information logged in the patient’s sleep diary.

CBT-I was the only approach to receive a “strong” recommendation, meaning it should be followed by clinicians in most cases.

Sleep Hygiene Is Not Treatment for Chronic Insomnia

The guideline also advises against sleep hygiene as a standalone therapy. Martin acknowledges sleep hygiene is probably the most familiar to patients of all the treatments.

“Most patients know about basic sleep hygiene, just as most people know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for you,” Martin says. “Sleep hygiene is almost never enough to solve chronic insomnia disorder, and we as providers need to evolve and think of sleep hygiene as education for all our patients and not as a treatment for a chronic condition.”

‘Most patients know about basic sleep hygiene, just as most people know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is good for you. Sleep hygiene is almost never enough to solve chronic insomnia disorder.’

Jennifer L. Martin, PhD

The other multi-component brief therapies for insomnia and single-component therapies—sleep restriction therapy, stimulus control, and relaxation therapy—are also potentially useful interventions with minimal undesirable effects, and thus all received “conditional” recommendations, meaning they may be useful in some patients.

“Even the single-component therapies are simple to deliver and not hard for patients to learn,” Martin says. “They may address just one aspect of insomnia, which could make them a suitable option for some patients.”

The guideline updates recommendations that were first released in 2006.4

“This current review of the published data on CBT-I is very thorough and offers the best insights we have as to the effectiveness of the therapy,” says Derek Loewy, PhD, DABSM, CBSM, director of behavioral sleep medicine at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Center. “One notable finding is the demonstrated superiority of a combined approach over the use of the individual techniques that make up CBT-I. This is consistent with my own clinical experience.”

Barry Krakow, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist, concurs CBT-I is effective for insomnia, but he points out that many patients who experience chronic insomnia may also have co-occurring sleep apnea, which frequently goes undiagnosed. In a randomized clinical trial, Krakow found that treating the sleep apnea using the advanced positive airway pressure mode adaptive servo-ventilation cured the chronic insomnia of nearly 70% of study participants.5

“The AASM’s work is invaluable to those unfamiliar with insomnia treatments; however, the guidelines assume most chronic insomnia is solely of a psychological origin,” Krakow says. “The physiology of sleep breathing appears to play a much larger role than previously recognized.”

What About Sleeping Pills?

Despite cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia having been identified as the standard of care, the reality is that pharmacologic treatment remains, by far, the most common approach to therapy, after treatment of comorbidities.

“It continues to be rare for me to see a patient who hasn’t first been tried on a variety of sedating medications, despite the well-recognized risks of reliance on such medications,” says Ryan G. Wetzler, PsyD, CBSM, DBSM, ABPP, a board-certified behavioral sleep specialist. “It seems the only way patients are referred for CBT-I is if the patient expresses a strong preference for a nonpharmacologic approach.”

In 2017, the AASM published a clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia and concluded that medication should be considered mainly in patients who are unable to participate in CBT-I, patients who still have symptoms after this therapy, or those who require a temporary adjunct to CBT-I.6

Loewy says, “When considering the relative harms of CBT-I compared to those of sleep medications, it’s clear that CBT-I should be the preferred first-line treatment approach for chronic insomnia.”

Implementing CBT-I

The recent AASM guideline focused on behavioral and psychological treatment builds on recommendations issued by the National Institutes of Health since 20057 and the American College of Physicians since 2016.8

As a member of the AASM task force and coauthor of the guideline, Martin was encouraged by the number of robust, well-designed studies that support the use of CBT-I. “The overwhelming evidence should inspire a lot of confidence in using this treatment,” she says.

According to Wetzler, there have been attempts made to disseminate this information to providers. He cites Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine, which states that providers should “avoid use of hypnotics as primary therapy for chronic insomnia in adults; instead offer cognitive-behavioral therapy, and reserve medication for adjunctive treatment when necessary.”9

Despite all of these efforts, Wetzler says, it continues to be rare for those with insomnia to be referred for CBT-I. In fact, a study conducted in 2015 found that very few (approximately 1%) insomnia patients are referred for treatment with CBT-I alone, despite availability of a well-known sleep center with practitioners certified in behavioral sleep medicine.10

Wetzler says, “I believe publication of these guidelines is valuable; however, it appears we have a lot of work to do to see them implemented in a meaningful way.”

Martin admits that more research is needed to determine the best ways to disseminate CBT-I and implement it into routine care. An advantage is the many convenient and patient-friendly ways to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy, such as through telehealth, individual therapy, group therapy, online, or books. The delivery modality can depend on the patient setting and the patient’s preferences and goals.

She suggests sleep medicine providers do a little homework to reach out to clinical psychologists who practice CBT-I, find out who is available, and develop relationships with those practitioners.

Martin says, “It falls on the team of providers who take care of patients to ask questions about their insomnia symptoms and connect them with providers who can do CBT-I, even if it’s through telehealth or self-directed delivery methods. It doesn’t matter how patients get [CBT-I] as long as they get it.”

Jane Kollmer is co-owner of Ch/At Communications, which provides writing and editing services to clients in the healthcare and travel industries. This is her first article for Sleep Review.

Illustration 12013746 © Pavlo Maydan – Dreamstime.com

References

Saddichha S. Diagnosis and treatment of chronic insomnia. Ann Indian Acad Neurol. 2010 Apr-Jun; 13(2): 94–102.

Edinger JD, Arnedt JT, Bertisch SM, et al. Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 Feb 1;17(2):255-62.

Edinger JD, Arnedt JT, Bertisch SM, et al. Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine systematic review, meta-analysis, and GRADE assessment. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021 Feb 1;17(2):263-98.

Morgenthaler T, Kramer M, Alessi C, et al. Practice parameters for the psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia: an update. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine report. Sleep. 2006 Nov;29(11):1415-9.

Krakow B, McIver ND, Ulibarri VA, et al. Prospective randomized controlled trial on the efficacy of continuous positive airway pressure and adaptive servo-ventilation in the treatment of chronic complex insomnia. EClinicalMedicine. 2019 Aug 8;13:57-73.

Sateia MJ, Buysse DJ, Krystal AD, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the pharmacologic treatment of chronic insomnia in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017 Feb 15;13(2):307-349.

National Institutes of Health. National Institutes of Health State of the Science Conference statement on Manifestations and Management of Chronic Insomnia in Adults, June 13-15, 2005. Sleep. 2005 Sep;28(9):1049-57.

Qaseem A, Kansagara D, Forciea MA, et al. Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016 Jul 19;165(2):125-33.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Avoid use of hypnotics as primary therapy for chronic insomnia in adults; instead offer cognitive-behavioral therapy, and reserve medication for adjunctive treatment when necessary. 2014 Dec 2. Available at https://www.choosingwisely.org/clinician-lists/aasm-hypnotics-for-chronic-insomnia.

Conroy DA, Ebben MR. Referral practices for cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia: a survey study. Behav Neurol. 2015;2015:819402.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/behavioral-sleep-medicine/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/treat-chronic-insomnia-disorder/

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Sleep Apnea Pill Earns $25 Million in Financing for Continued Development & Commercialization

Sleep Apnea Pill Earns $25 Million in Financing for Continued Development & Commercialization was initially published on Elly Mackay

Apnimed, a clinical-stage company focused on advancing pharmacologic treatments for sleep apnea and related disorders, has raised $25 million in a Series B financing led by existing investor, Morningside Ventures, and joined by new investors, Seligman Investments and Tao Capital Partners. The proceeds will support Apnimed’s ongoing development and commercialization plans. The company is advancing its lead program, AD109, an oral disease-modifying therapeutic for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is currently in late-stage Phase 2 clinical trials.

“Apnimed’s approach with a once-daily oral medication to address the root cause of the condition could not only be a game changer for patients, but also represents a significant market growth opportunity,” says Paul Wick, lead portfolio manager of the Seligman Technology Group at Columbia Threadneedle Investments, in a release. “We are confident that the Apnimed team has the expertise and experience to execute these clinical programs and bring this therapeutic option to patients.”

Nicholas Pritzker, principal of Tao Capital Partners, says in a release, “We are excited to support Apnimed’s mission of developing an oral medication for sleep apnea that has the potential to transform and grow the market dramatically. The vast majority of patients want a simple and convenient solution which a daily pill taken before sleep can offer.”

[RELATED: First Patient Dosed in Sleep Apnea Pill Second Phase 2 Clinical Trial]

Larry Miller, MD, Apnimed CEO, says in a release, “People living with obstructive sleep apnea need a safe, effective, and easy-to-use treatment option that addresses the underlying neurologic cause of the disease. The proceeds of this financing enable us to initiate our Phase 3 program for AD109. We are pleased to welcome Seligman and Tao Capital Partners to our syndicate and greatly appreciate Morningside’s continued support and recognition of our science and our goal to help address the needs of patients living with OSA.”

In late 2020, Apnimed initiated a Phase 2 study of AD109 for the treatment of mild to severe OSA (NCT04580394), and in January 2021, the company initiated a second Phase 2 study of AD109, in mild to moderate OSA (NCT04631107). Data from these studies are anticipated in the second quarter of this year with a Phase 3 registrational study anticipated to follow. If successful, AD109 could offer an entirely new approach to treating OSA with a once-daily, oral medication that addresses the underlying biology of the disease.

AD109 combines a selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (atomoxetine) with a novel new chemical entity—a selective antimuscarinic (aroxybutynin). Proof-of-concept for the AD109 program was demonstrated by Apnimed in a Phase 2, parallel group dose-finding study of the combination of atomoxetine and racemic oxybutynin. That study provided evidence of safety and efficacy in the treatment of OSA with a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI) + antimuscarinic combination in 140 patients—indicating that a pharmacologic approach could treat the underlying neurobiology of OSA. Aroxybutynin has been shown to be safe and well tolerated and had a favorable pharmacokinetic profile in a Phase 1 study, paving the way for Phase 2 studies of AD109.

Photo 11411107 © Jorge Salcedo – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/pharmaceuticals/emerging-compounds/apnimed-25million-financing/

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Roswell Doctor Puts the App in Sleep Apnea

The blog post Roswell Doctor Puts the App in Sleep Apnea is courtesy of Elly Mackay's Blog

AJC: Daniel Rifkin, MD, MPH, founded Ognomy, a telemedicine app to available in Georgia and New York to facilitate sleep apnea diagnosis.

“You simply wear the test (a few probes and a comfortable belt) for one night and then you send it back to us,” the Ognomy website states. “The study will be reviewed and hand-scored by a sleep technician and then interpreted by your doctor, who will decide the best course of action depending on your results.”

ajc.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-diagnostics/connected-care/telemedicine/ognomy-app-in-sleep-apnea/

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Does CPAP Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Sleep Apnea Patients?

Does CPAP Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Sleep Apnea Patients? was initially seen on https://www.ellymackay.com/

Healio: CPAP alone did not improve hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obstructive sleep apnea, researchers reported in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

“In recent years, the common pathogenic mechanisms in NAFLD and OSA have attracted much research interest and stimulated studies of the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxemia and OSA-related parameters to the severity of NAFLD,” Susanna S.S. Ng, MBChB, assistant professor in the department of medicine and therapeutics at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and SH Ho Sleep Apnea Management Center, and colleagues wrote.

Researchers evaluated 120 patients with NAFLD and OSA, which was defined by respiratory event index of 5 or more hours. Patients were randomly assigned to an auto-adjusting CPAP group (n = 60; mean age, 55 years; 51.7% men), with a pressure range of 4 cm to 20 cm H2O, or a subtherapeutic CPAP group (n = 60; mean age, 55 years; 61.7% men), with the pressure fixed at 4 cm H2O.

Get the full story at healio.com.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/cpap-nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease-sleep-apnea/

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FDA Approves Inspire Implant Surgery That Eliminates 3rd Incision

The blog article FDA Approves Inspire Implant Surgery That Eliminates 3rd Incision is republished from https://www.ellymackay.com

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved an improved surgical implant procedure for Inspire Upper Airway Therapy for obstructive sleep apnea. The newly approved procedure eliminates one incision with a revised placement of the pressure sensing lead—and reduce the average procedure time for Inspire therapy by approximately 20%.

“Delivering consistent positive patient outcomes remains Inspire’s number-one priority, and the receipt of FDA approval for this two-incision procedure represents further evidence of our commitment to the continuous improvement of Inspire therapy,” says Tim Herbert, president and CEO of Inspire Medical Systems, in a release. “The new procedure places the sensor in the intercostal muscles directly behind the neurostimulator pocket, thereby eliminating the need for a third incision lower on the chest and the additional requirement to tunnel the sensing lead under the skin to the neurostimulator. A number of ENT surgeons highly experienced with the current Inspire implant procedure initiated the development of this new surgical technique. With this approval, we now intend to leverage our broad network of leading ENT’s to further improve the Inspire procedure and enhance therapy outcomes.”

[RELATED: Inspire Medical Systems Answers Questions About Its Upper Airway Stimulation Therapy for OSA]

Eugine Chio, MD, director of the sleep surgery program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says in a release, “Placement of the sensor in this revised location simplifies the overall procedure, while maintaining the strong safety and efficacy profile of the therapy. In partnership with several of my colleagues, we conducted a clinical study comparing this new two-incision approach to the initially approved three-incision procedure. The results showed no difference in the safety or effectiveness of the therapy, but yielded a statistically significant decrease in surgical time to just under 100 minutes on average, which is a 26-minute reduction from the three-incision procedure time.”

The elimination of the third incision, as well as the required lead tunneling procedure, is expected to minimize the risk of breast and chest wall injury, reduce operative time, and decrease post-operative pain. Training for the two-incision procedure will begin immediately.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-treatments/therapy-devices/neurostimulators/inspire-eliminates-3rd-incision/

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How UArizona Researchers Are Contributing to Better Sleep

The following blog post How UArizona Researchers Are Contributing to Better Sleep is republished from EllyMackay.com

UArizona News spoke with Sairam Parthasarathy, MD—a professor in The University or Arizona Department of Medicine and member of the university’s BIO5 Institute—about the state of sleep health today and how UArizona researchers are contributing to a future of better sleep.

Parthasarathy is medical director of the Center for Sleep Disorders at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and director of the UArizona Health Sciences Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences.

Q: What is the state of sleep for Americans today?

A: Modern-day insomnia and sleep apnea research began decades ago, and since then, both diseases have been becoming more prevalent. Now, pandemic anxiety is on the rise and as a result, there’s a new term—”coronasomnia”—for the inability to sleep caused by pandemic stress. Sleep apnea is also on the rise, especially as people have become more likely to gain weight because they are not eating right and have been more sedentary over the past year.

Q: Why is good sleep so important?

A: Sleep apnea (a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep) increases blood pressure and increases the risk for heart attack and stroke two to threefold. One thing our lab is doing is trying to get people to adhere to CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) use. We’re testing what’s called peer-driven intervention, whereby patients with sleep apnea who are adherent to CPAP therapy share their experiences with individuals who are not adherent. The peer-to-peer support encourages them to adhere to CPAP therapy and, ultimately, both patients experience significant improvements in health-related quality of life during the course of their interactions.

Insomnia can also lead to inflammation, which puts people more at risk for heart attacks. Dr Daniel Taylor of the UArizona Department of Psychology and I are part of a group of five universities funded by a $5 million grant from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute, PCORI, to enroll rural patients with insomnia. Potential participants with insomnia will receive recommendations for their sleep through a well-studied internet-based software program, SHUTi, that enables them to modify their sleep pattern and other aspects regarding their sleep and thereby improves their insomnia. Potential participants may alternatively receive Ambien prescribed by their doctor in this study, while others may receive both interventions. We are getting ready to start enrolling participants and are looking to collaborate with primary care physicians who serve rural residents with insomnia. The study aims to enroll over 2,000, making it one of the largest sleep research clinical trials.

Beyond sleep apnea and insomnia, sleep cuts across so many aspects of our health and touches each organ system and cell in the body. When the brain and body sleep, your cells are in a different state than in wakefulness. For example, skin cells multiply more at nighttime than during the day. So, when my daughters say, “I need to get my beauty sleep,” there’s actually science behind it. When the skin cells multiply during the day, the DNA can be damaged as it is exposed to higher levels of inflammation and can potentially lead to mutations and, consequently, skin cancer in experimental conditions. Conceivably, to protect these cells from undergoing such cancerous transformation, it is better for them to multiply at night during sleep.

[RELATED: UA Awarded $1.4M Grant for Program that Supports Sleep Apnea Patients]

Q: What is the state of sleep research today?

A: Sleep research is the new kid on the block compared to other fields, like cardiovascular or cancer research. Sleep came into being a major area of research with sleep laboratories and clinics popping up around the county because people were interested in receiving treatments for sleep apnea and insomnia. We are still learning a lot about both of these sleep disorders, but there are more questions that have emerged. Now, we’re able to study what sleep is, how it works, the connections to circadian rhythms and the state of the body during wakefulness versus sleep, for example.

Q: What is the University of Arizona doing to take care of patients and research sleep?

A: There are two sleep centers at the University of Arizona addressing many different aspects of sleep science. The Center for Sleep Disorders at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, which addresses the clinical mission, sees patients with sleep disorders. The UArizona Health Sciences Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences addresses the research mission.

Q: You are also researching how astronauts might sleep in the unique conditions of space. Why is that important?

A: Many people are interested in the impact of space travel on the human body. The International Space Station rotates around the globe every few hours, which means astronauts go through night and day cycles every few hours. Imagine what that does to your circadian rhythm. During missions to Mars, astronauts won’t even have light and dark; they may just have a dark cycle. How will humankind fare with that? As long as you live on Earth, your body has a rhythm called the circadian rhythm, but as soon as you leave Earth, you’re on your own. We have to find out what we can do to preserve sleep health and circadian rhythms for the long journey.

Photo 117811918 © Zimmytws – Dreamstime.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/prevailing-attitudes/public-institutions/uarizona-sleep-research/

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Sleep Apnea Not Associated with Wake-Up Stroke

Sleep Apnea Not Associated with Wake-Up Stroke is available on The Elly Mackay Blog

Michigan Health Lab: Stroke onset while asleep does not seem to be the direct link between sleep apnea and stroke.

“When someone wakes up with stroke symptoms, it’s unclear when the event actually began,” explains first author Sonja Schuetz, M.D., M.S., an assistant professor of neurology at Michigan Medicine. This is known as wake-up stroke, and was reported in 30% of the stroke survivors in the study. “Every minute matters in stroke care, so wake-up strokes complicate treatment. We wanted to explore if there’s a link between wake-up stroke and obstructive sleep apnea.”

uofmhealth.org

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-disorders/breathing-disorders/obstructive-sleep-apnea/sleep-apnea-not-associated-wake-up-stroke/

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NIH Grant Awarded for Study on Stress, Inflammatory Response, & Sleep Loss

The post NIH Grant Awarded for Study on Stress, Inflammatory Response, & Sleep Loss was first published to https://www.ellymackay.com/

Western Kentucky University (WKU) biology professor Noah Ashley, PhD, has been awarded a three-year, $429,768 R15 grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) to continue research that investigates how stress is involved in regulating the inflammatory response to sleep loss. The NIGMS is one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“This research evaluates the mechanisms that lead to inflammation from sleep loss. One of those mechanisms involves stress,” Ashley says in a release. “In the past year, the pandemic has caused stress in all of our lives. It’s also affected our quantity and quality of sleep. So this research is incredibly relevant today.”

Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) says in a release, “I’m thrilled the National Institutes of Health has chosen to fund research at Western Kentucky University that could potentially be used as a foundation for treatments for people who experience inflammation due to sleep loss. We have the best environment in the world to promote scientific research and support scientists like Dr Ashley in their important work. I currently oversee the NIH in my senior role on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I’m a strong believer in supporting research that can lead to innovative treatments and cures. I wish Dr Ashley and his team good luck on this multi-year research project.”

[RELATED: Lack of Sleep Fuels Harmful Inflammatory Response to Marital Stress]

The project’s premise relates to the worldwide increases in obesity that have led to a higher incidence of obstructive sleep apnea. Previous research has linked sleep fragmentation with increased inflammatory responses that could provide a link between disturbed sleep and adverse health outcomes, Ashley says.

“Chronic inflammation can have a huge impact on someone’s life by increasing the risk for development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer,” Ashley says. “If we can understand how inflammation arises from sleep loss, then potential therapeutics could be developed to mitigate inflammation in patients who experience dysregulated sleep, like obstructive sleep apnea.”

Various forms of sleep loss can trigger the classical stress response, which involves rapid activation of the sympathetic nervous system to produce catecholamines as well as release of glucocorticoids into the bloodstream, which are key stress hormones of the body. Ashley’s previous R15 funded-research identified the importance of the sympathetic nervous system in mediating this inflammatory response to sleep fragmentation.

In this project, Ashley’s research will examine the role of stress hormones in regulating inflammation from sleep fragmentation by manipulating hormone levels in mice that have experienced rates of sleep loss similar to patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Evaluating the mechanisms that regulate the inflammatory response could lead to new drug development pipelines for patients suffering from disrupted sleep.

WKU undergraduate students will be involved in the NIH-funded project. In the previous grant, 15 WKU students were trained to conduct biomedical research. Collaborators on the project include Bruce O’Hara, PhD, and Andrew Morris, PhD, from the University of Kentucky.

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from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/parameters/quantity/nih-grant-stress-inflammatory-response-sleep-loss/

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Stress Negatively Impacting the Quality of Sleep for Half of Americans, Finds ResMed Survey

Stress Negatively Impacting the Quality of Sleep for Half of Americans, Finds ResMed Survey was first published to www.ellymackay.com

For half of Americans, stress over the past year is negatively impacting the quality of their sleep, according to the results of a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults commissioned by ResMed. What’s more, many are ignoring sleep challenges that could point to a larger underlying health concern.

ResMed published the survey in conjunction with National Sleep Awareness Week (March 14-20) and World Sleep Day (March 19), and as part of Sleep for a Better Tomorrow, an education and outreach initiative to build awareness of the critical role good sleep plays in physical and mental health—and how to get our best sleep.

“COVID-19 has impacted all aspects of our lives, including our sleep health, leading many people to struggle to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night,” says Carlos M. Nunez, MD, chief medical officer for ResMed, in a release.

Beyond the pervasive effects of stress, the survey found the impacts on sleep vary across gender and working arrangements.

Thirty-five percent of women reported worse sleep quality in the past year compared to just 26% of men. Women selected stress and anxiety as the most significant impacts on their sleep.

More individuals working from home reported improved sleep quality since the pandemic began vs those who haven’t worked from home (39% vs 21%).

Across all respondents, more than one-third say they are having a harder time falling asleep, and nearly one-third say they are sleeping less over the last year, and one-quarter started taking naps more often.

[RELATED: How Abnormal Sleep Architecture Can Be a Predictor of Stress Vulnerability]

Snoring & Sleep Apnea

The survey revealed that more than one in two Americans say they snore, or a bed partner has told them they snore. But 78% of those who snore aren’t concerned it could be related to an underlying health condition, despite snoring being a top symptom of sleep apnea. Additionally, nearly half of survey respondents said their doctor had not asked them about their sleep quality, reinforcing the importance of consumers being aware of the potential health impacts of poor sleep and acting on key sleep apnea symptoms such as snoring.

“While data show that stress and worry are key factors impacting many people’s sleep, now is an opportunity for everyone to take measure of all of the factors that could be impacting the quality of their sleep, which could include sleep disorders that can have negative long-term impacts to overall health,” Nunez says.

“Sleep apnea can impact all types of people from all walks of life, and while some people are more prone to have sleep apnea, it does not discriminate. If you snore, have been told you stop breathing in your sleep, or feel tired each day despite getting enough hours of sleep, ask your doctor if sleep apnea—which is 100% treatable at home—could be the cause.”

The survey was conducted in February 2021 among 1,000 individuals 18 and older in the United States. The survey was fielded using Qualtrics Insights Platform, and the panel was sourced from Lucid.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/demographics/stress-negatively-impacting-quality-sleep/

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