Update on the epidemiology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in Central Eastern Tunisia over 11 years.

Introduction: obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder. Knowledge about OSAS incidence trends could be extremely useful in assessing health needs and implementing preventive measures accordingly. This study aimed at the epidemiological and clinical specificities of OSAS and to give an update on its current chronological trends.

Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system in gastro-esophageal reflux disease: Consequences for the cardiovascular system.

Objective: The pathophysiology of gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) implicates autonomic dysregulation of the lower esophageal sphincter tone. Our goal is to investigate whether this dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) function observed in isolated GERD cases can affect other systems, such as cardiovascular regulation.

Methods: Twenty-five participants were included in the study, 11 patients with isolated GERD and 14 controls.

Electroretinographic evidence suggesting that the type 2 diabetic retinopathy of the sand rat Psammomys obesus is comparable to that of humans.

Purpose: Type 2 diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of acquired blindness in adults. The aim of this work was to examine the retinal function of the sand rat Psammomys obesus as an animal model of diet-induced type 2 diabetes when subjected to a hypercaloric regimen.

Materials And Methods: Hyperglycemia was induced in Psammomys obesus by high caloric diet (4 kcal/g).

Cardiac autonomic control in the obstructive sleep apnea.

Introduction: The sympathetic activation is considered to be the main mechanism involved in the development of cardiovascular diseases in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The heart rate variability (HRV) analysis represents a non-invasive tool allowing the study of the autonomic nervous system. The impairment of HRV parameters in OSA has been documented.