Heart rate recovery post 6-minute walking test in obstructive sleep apnea: cycle ergometry versus 6-minute walking test in OSA patients.

Purpose: To examine the clinical usefulness of heart rate recovery (HRR) post 6-minute walking test (6MWT) as a simple marker of cardiovascular risk in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients in comparison to HRR post cycle ergometry, the validated and more sophisticated protocol.

Methods: Seventy-four participants underwent full overnight polysomnography, cycle ergometry and 6MWT. The HRR at 1, 2 and 3 min (HRR-1, HRR-2 and HRR-3) 6MWT was compared to HRR at 1, 2, and 3 min post cycle ergometry in normal subjects and in moderate and severe OSA patients before and after 6-month CPAP treatment.

Adherence to CPAP therapy improves quality of life and reduces symptoms among obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to asses quality of life and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) patients after adhering to 6 months of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment.

Methods: A group of 50 patients (41 men and 9 women) were diagnosed by polysomnography and treated with CPAP therapy for 6 months. Their symptoms and health-related quality of life were assessed by administering a validated and translated version of the sleep apnea quality of life index (SAQLI).

The impact of positive airway pressure on cardiac status and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced heart failure and sleep-disordered breathing: a preliminary report.

Introduction: Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Patients with HF exhibit a high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). We have investigated the long-term impact of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy on heart function and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced HF and concomitant SDB.

Prediction of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a large Greek population.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the predictive value of anthropometric measurements and self-reported symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in a large number of not yet diagnosed or treated patients. Commonly used clinical indices were used to derive a prediction formula that could identify patients at low and high risk for OSAS.

Methods: Two thousand six hundred ninety patients with suspected OSAS were enrolled.

How common is sleep-disordered breathing in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis?

Background And Aim: The frequency of obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of OSAHS in newly diagnosed IPF patients and to identify possible correlations with body mass index and pulmonary function testing parameters.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-four newly diagnosed IPF patients were included.

Sleep breathing disorders in the U.S. female population.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder that remains underdiagnosed in adult females. The Berlin Questionnaire is a validated tool for identifying people at risk for OSAS. The aim of this report was to evaluate the prevalence of common symptoms of OSAS in women and to estimate the risk for OSAS among females in the United States.

Association of sleep apnea severity and obesity with insulin resistance, C-reactive protein, and leptin levels in male patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Obesity is the major confounding factor in the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of sleep apnea severity with insulin resistance, leptin, and CRP levels in a cohort of male patients. Sixty-seven men referred to our sleep laboratory for evaluation of suspected obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) were divided into three groups according to apnea severity: non-OSAS group (n=15), mild to moderate OSAS group (n=26), and severe OSAS (n=26).

Cytokines and pathological sleep.

Cytokines are proteins produced by leukocytes and other cells that function as intercellular mediators acting on several target tissues, resulting in multiple biologic actions. Over the last decade, medical research has explored the interaction between cytokines and sleep disorders. The aim of this review is to illustrate recent advances in knowledge about the relationship between cytokines and disorders of excessive sleepiness.

Cytokines and normal sleep.

Purpose Of Review: Cytokines are mediators of immune system responses with multiple biologic actions on several target tissues. Over the past two decades, research has explored the interactions between cytokines and sleep mechanisms of the brain. This short review highlights selected findings that have advanced our understanding of the relation between cytokines and sleep.

Gender and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, part 2: mechanisms.

Epidemiologic studies have reported that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common disorder affecting about four percent of adult males and two percent of adult females. This difference in OSAS prevalence suggests that the female gender may reduce the risk of sleep breathing disorders in adults. We review several interrelated factors that may explain the differences in risk related to gender.

Gender and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, part 1: Clinical features.

In the two decades after obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) was described, it was considered a disease primarily of males. As a result, for many years, epidemiologic studies of the general population examining the prevalence of OSAS included only males and investigators examined almost exclusively males in their pathophysiologic studies. It has been widely recognized that OSAS in women is not as rare as it was originally believed.