Sleep Apnea: Women Suffer Worse Than Men

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is an unpleasant nighttime condition that can have serious consequences. Even those with mild OSA can find themselves experiencing daytime drowsiness.

Recent research, published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (JCSM), looked at the way OSA affects different genders. Researchers studied male and female sleep apnea sufferers and measured various clinical manifestations of symptoms including daytime sleepiness, mood disturbance and neurobehavioral performance. They found that:

Despite similar age, body mass index, and apnea-hypopnea index, women reported significantly lower functional status, more subjective daytime sleepiness, higher frequency of apnea symptoms, more mood disturbance, and poorer neurobehavioral performance compared to men at baseline.

Note that this research was looking at the severity of the symptoms of OSA, not the incidence of the condition.

The researchers also examined the effectiveness of CPAP treatment, however they found no significant difference between men and women.

Sleep Apnea Snoring Linked to Brain Damage

Snoring can sometimes be caused by Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a serious condition. Now new research suggests that apnea related snoring could also cause brain damage.

The University of New South Wales Brain Sciences Institute found brain chemistry changes in sleep apnea sufferers that were comparable to those in people who have had a severe stroke. The biochemical changes are thought to be a reaction to the reduction in oxygen intake experienced by sleep apnea sufferers.

Professor Caroline Rae of UNSW Brain Sciences said:

"It used to be thought that apnoeic snoring had absolutely no acute effects on brain function but this is plainly not true"

Oral Exercise Could Help Treat Sleep Apnea

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome(OSAS) is a common condition that can lead to snoring and possibly far more severe effects. Now new research points the way to a possible treatment through mouth and tongue (oropharyngeal ) exercises derived from speech therapy.

The research, Effects of Oropharyngeal Exercises on Patients with Moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome, is published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study, led by Dr. Geraldo Lorenzi-Filho at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, looked at 31 patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea. Those who followed a procedure of tongue and pharyngeal exercises showed an average 40% decrease in the severity of their symptoms.

The researchers concluded: "Oropharyngeal exercises significantly reduce OSAS severity and symptoms and represent a promising treatment for moderate OSAS."

Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer's

The flurry of research findings concerning Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) continues, this time in connection with Alzheimer's Disease.

New research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society studied patients who suffered from mild to moderate Alzheimer's and also sleep apnea. The study looked at the effect of CPAP treatment: half the group were given therapeutic CPAP for six weeks, the other half placebo CPAP for three weeks followed by therapeutic CPAP for three weeks.

At the end of the six week trial tests on the group as a whole showed "suggested improvements in verbal learning and memory as well as some aspects of executive function such as cognitive flexibility and mental processing speed".

Professor Sonia Ancoli-Israel who led the study said:

"Although it is unlikely that OSA causes dementia, the lowered oxygen levels and sleep fragmentation associated with OSA might worsen cognitive function. This study, which showed significant improvement in patients' neurological test scores after treatment with CPAP, suggests that clinicians who treat patients with Alzheimer's disease and sleep apnea should consider implementing CPAP treatment"

Sleep Apnea May Result in More Sick Days

For many years Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - a serious condition which can be a cause of snoring - was little known outside the medical world. However its profile may well be set to rise following suggestions that it might harm something far more precious to our society than mere health: company profits.

New research from the University of Bergen, Norway, has found that workers with sleep apnea take more time off work. Over a four year study, workers with symptoms of OSA were far more likely than others to take more than eight weeks of sick leave. They were also more likely to go onto permanent work disability. These correlations remain after adjusting for factors such as lifestyle and other medical conditions.

Of all the OSA symptoms studied the one most commonly associated with time off sick was daytime sleepiness.

If you suspect that you suffer from sleep apnea then you should consult your doctor.

Sleep Apnea - Not All Bad?

A well-known cause of snoring is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). This condition is potentially life-threatening and has been linked with higher chance of heart attack and stroke.

Now the Telegraph reports on surprising new research that suggests OSA might actually be associated with longer life in some older people.

The study followed people aged over 65 for four years and found that people with moderate sleep apnea were actually more likely to still be alive. For light and serious OSA sufferers mortality rates were the same as for the general population.

The reason for this surprising result is unknown. One suggestion is "ischemic reconditioning": the experience of dealing with minor system shocks induced by sleep apnea trains the body to better resist major shocks such as heart attack.

It's important to remember correlation does not necessarily imply causality, there could be other factors at work. However the research does suggest that perhaps in some people medical treatment for sleep apnea might not always be the best option.

As always your first step should be to consult your doctor.