Sleep Apnea

Better behavior after tonsil/adenoid surgery for kids with sleep breathing trouble?

Children with obstructive sleep apnea who had a common surgery to remove their tonsils and adenoids showed notable improvements in behavior, quality of life and other symptoms compared to those treated with "watchful waiting" ...

Sleep apnea created 11 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Stress test may help predict increased mortality risk in sleep apnea patients

Many studies have shown that men and women who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) - a disorder that causes breathing to halt intermittently during sleep – have a higher mortality rate than those who do not have the ...

Sleep apnea created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Treatment of sleep apnea improves glucose levels in prediabetes

Optimal treatment of sleep apnea in patients with prediabetes improves blood sugar (glucose) levels and thus can reduce cardiometabolic risk, according to a study to be presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference in ...

Sleep apnea created May 20, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify a potential new risk for sleep apnea: Asthma

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have identified a potential new risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea: asthma. Using data from the National Institutes of Health (Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)-funded Wisconsin ...

Sleep apnea created May 19, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study finds that sleep apnea and Alzheimer's are linked

A new study looking at sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and markers for Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuroimaging adds to the growing body of research linking the two.

Alzheimer's disease & dementia created May 19, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Long-term use of prescription painkillers for back pain linked to erectile dysfunction in men

Regularly taking prescription painkillers, also known as opioids, is associated with a higher risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, according to a study published online today in the journal Spine.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created May 15, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Obesity crisis may be fueling big jump in sleep apnea cases

(HealthDay)—The widening American waistline may be feeding an epidemic of sleep apnea, potentially robbing millions of people of a good night's rest, a new study suggests.

Sleep apnea created May 10, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Study shows that bedtime regularity predicts CPAP compliance

A new study suggests that regularity of bedtime prior to initiation of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is an important factor that may influence treatment compliance in adults with obstructive sleep apnea ...

Sleep apnea created May 07, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Study links diet with daytime sleepiness and alertness in healthy adults

A new study suggests that your level of sleepiness or alertness during the day may be related to the type of food that you eat.

Health created May 07, 2013 | popularity 4 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Losing sleep? Scientists evaluate why

The issue of sleep deprivation has gone beyond the counting of sheep and into the scientific domain, as European researchers set up 'sleep labs' to study the biomedical and sociological factors keeping us ...

Health created May 03, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

Sleep duration associated with higher colorectal cancer risk

A new study is the first to report a significant positive association between long sleep duration and the development of colorectal cancer, especially among individuals who are overweight or snore regularly. The results raise ...

Cancer created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0

ESC recommends patients and centres for renal denervation

Up to 10 per cent of patients with high blood pressure are resistant to treatment, which puts them at increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attacks. Clinical trials show that catheter-based renal denervation ...

Cardiology created Apr 25, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Cutting back on sleep harms blood vessel function and breathing control

With work and entertainment operating around the clock in our modern society, sleep is often a casualty. A bevy of research has shown a link between sleep deprivation and cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and obesity. ...

Health created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Study shows severity of sleep apnea is influenced by race

A new study suggests that obstructive sleep apnea severity is higher in African-American men in certain age ranges, even after controlling for body mass index (BMI).

Sleep apnea created Apr 12, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

CPAP improves work productivity for sleep apnea patients

Continuous positive airway pressure is effective at increasing work productivity, according to a new study.

Sleep apnea created Apr 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0


Sleep apnea (or sleep apnoea in British English; English pronunciation: /æpˈniːə/) is a sleep disorder characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing or instances of abnormally low breathing, during sleep. Each pause in breathing, called an apnea, can last from a few seconds to minutes, and may occur 5 to 30 times or more an hour. Similarly, each abnormally low breathing event is called a hypopnea. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called a polysomnogram, or "sleep study".

There are three forms of sleep apnea: central (CSA), obstructive (OSA), and complex or mixed sleep apnea (i.e., a combination of central and obstructive) constituting 0.4%, 84% and 15% of cases respectively. In CSA, breathing is interrupted by a lack of respiratory effort; in OSA, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite respiratory effort, and snoring is common.

Regardless of type, an individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years (or even decades) without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance.

This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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