Work of Breathing in Fixed and Pressure Relief Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (C-Flex™): A post hoc Analysis.

Background: Expiratory pressure relief continuous positive airway pressure (pressure relief CPAP; C-Flex™) causes increases in inspiratory duty cycle and shortening of expiratory time. It has been suggested that these changes are caused by an increase in work of breathing.

Objectives: We studied the effects of C-Flex on work of breathing and intrinsic positive end-expiratory pressure as compared to fixed CPAP.

Health-related quality of life in patients with narcolepsy.

Background: To evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients suffering from narcolepsy.

Methods: Subjects included 75 narcoleptic patients diagnosed at the Hephata Klinik, Germany, who met the International Classification of Sleep Disorders (ICSD) criteria for narcolepsy. A standardized telephone interview was used to inquire about the disease and its burdens to the patients.

[Sleep apnea--treatment improves hypertension].

Obstructive sleep apnea and arterial hypertension are frequent diseases, but they are also often overlooked. There is a causal relationship of sleep apnea and hypertension. Undiagnosed sleep apnea is probably the most important reason for "essential" hypertension.

Brain natriuretic peptide for prediction of Cheyne-Stokes respiration in heart failure patients.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is indicative of adverse outcome in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We evaluated the use of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma levels to predict CSR in CHF patients. In this cross-sectional study, overnight polygraphy and cardiac work-up were performed and neurohumoral activation was determined in 102 consecutive CHF patients (25-82 years).

Obesity, sleep apnea syndrome, and rhythmogenic risk.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common disorder and affects approximately 4% of middle-aged men and 2% of middle-aged women. Obstructive sleep apnea is clearly associated with obesity, with more than 50% of patients having a body mass index>30 kg/m2. Substantial evidence identified obstructive sleep apnea as risk factor not only for excessive daytime sleepiness and road traffic accidents, but also for increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

[Intermediate care units and noninvasive ventilation].

Intermediate care units (IMC) have been introduced to provide optimal patient management according to disease severity and to bridge the gap between intensive care (ICU) and general wards. Most patients that are referred to an IMC need monitoring and intensive analgetic treatment. Over the past years noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and weaning have emerged as important new forms of active treatment in the IMC.

Central sleep related breathing disorders - diagnostic and therapeutic features.

THREE CLASSES OF CENTRAL SRBD ARE DISTINGUISHED: 1. Central sleep apnea (CSA), 2. Cheyne-Stokes Respiration as a subgroup of CSA and 3.

The socioeconomic impact of narcolepsy.

Study Objective: To evaluate the economic burden of patients suffering from narcolepsy.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: 75 narcoleptic patients diagnosed at the Hephata Klinik, Germany, who met the International Classification of Sleep Disorders criteria for narcolepsy.

Peripheral arterial tonometry, oximetry and actigraphy for ambulatory recording of sleep apnea.

Autonomous nervous functions change with sleep stages and show characteristic changes associated with sleep disorders. Therefore, continuous monitoring of autonomous nervous functions during sleep can be used for diagnostic purposes. Recently, the peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) has been introduced to determine peripheral arterial vascular tone on the finger being determined by sympathetic activity.

Association of right ventricular dysfunction and Cheyne-Stokes respiration in patients with chronic heart failure.

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) is present in up to 40% of patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) and is an independent risk factor for increased overall mortality. We examined whether CSR is associated with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction in CHF patients. Parameters of RV function were assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography and tissue velocity imaging in 42 patients (aged 23-75 years) with a left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction below 40%.

Effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure treatment on blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: There is increasing evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for arterial hypertension. Because there are no controlled studies showing a substantial effect of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) therapy on hypertension in OSA, the impact of treatment on cardiovascular sequelae has been questioned altogether. Therefore, we studied the effect of nCPAP on arterial hypertension in patients with OSA.