Answering the question: Who should have surgery for sleep apnea?
Even as more and more people in the United States are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), there remains a disconnect as to who can benefit from corrective surgery. Leading experts in the field of sleep medicine will attempt to answer the question of who could benefit from surgery, during a moderated discussion.
A Swedish study reveals that children who grow up in a large family or who are exposed to animals often have respiratory or ear infections in early life are more likely to develop into snorers in later life.
Snoring is not just a potential annoyance. In some cases, it can be a sign of a potentially fatal respiratory condition known as obstructive sleep apnea which causes a narrowing or collapse of the throat during sleep, and as a result, can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, lead to memory loss, depression, diabetes, among other health issues.
A study published in the July 1, 2008, issue of the journal Sleep provides visual evidence of the severe structural damage that occurs in numerous regions of the brain in people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Results show that obstructive sleep apnea patients have extensive alterations in “white matter,” nerve tissue in the brain containing fibers that are insulated with myelin — a white, fatty sheath. These structural changes appear both in brain regions that have functional importance for characteristics such as mood, memory, and cardiovascular regulation; and in fiber pathways interconnecting these regions.
Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea may improve control of blood pressure and improve nocturnal oxygen levels, which helps in minimizing risks of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. Additionally, obstructive sleep apnea may cause abnormal heart rhythms which would not be triggered at night with successful treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, said Dr. David F. Kristo.
The benefits of “healthy driving” programs keep piling up for carriers in terms of healthier, happier, safer and more productive drivers, and all of that can’t help but boost retention rates while improving the bottom line.
Consider the case of Schneider National, Inc., for example. Earlier this year, Schneider National received the 2007 National Sleep Foundation Healthy Sleep Community Award for creating a groundbreaking obstructive sleep apnea OSA detection and treatment program for its drivers.
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As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the U.S. population
was 306,340,710. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 21,443,850 apneics in the U.S.
~~ Apnea around the world ~~
As of May 2, 2009 at 9:47 p.m. (-0500) (ET), the world population
was 6,777,286,604. Sleep researchers estimate approximately seven percent
of the population suffers from obstructive sleep apnea. Using that
estimate, there are potentially 474,410,062 apneics in the world.
