Changes in sleep duration and recreational screen time among Canadians, 1998-2010.

It is commonly claimed that sleep duration has declined in recent years - over a period coinciding with a marked increase in personal electronics and communications use. The aim of this study was to assess change in sleep duration among Canadians from 1998 to 2010, and examine any associations with non-work-related screen time. The analysis uses population-representative data from Statistics Canada's General Social Survey cycles of 1998 and 2010; the respective samples numbered 10 749 and 15 390 individuals.

Effects of short-term continuous positive airway pressure on myocardial sympathetic nerve function and energetics in patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized study.

Background: Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 2 states of increased metabolic demand and sympathetic nervous system activation, often coexist. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which alleviates OSA, can improve ventricular function. It is unknown whether this is due to altered oxidative metabolism or presynaptic sympathetic nerve function.

Air pollution and emergency department visits for cardiac and respiratory conditions: a multi-city time-series analysis.

Background: Relatively few studies have been conducted of the association between air pollution and emergency department (ED) visits, and most of these have been based on a small number of visits, for a limited number of health conditions and pollutants, and only daily measures of exposure and response.

Methods: A time-series analysis was conducted on nearly 400,000 ED visits to 14 hospitals in seven Canadian cities during the 1990 s and early 2000s. Associations were examined between carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter (PM 10 and PM2.

The feasibility of adding fetal heart rate to the nocturnal polysomnogram.

Study Objectives: To demonstrate that fetal heart rate measured by ultrasound can be successfully captured and monitored throughout the nocturnal polysomnogram.

Methods: Fetal heart rate by ultrasound using an abdominal belt (Hewlett Packard Fetal Monitor 8040A) was measured during 1 overnight polysomnogram in volunteers in late pregnancy and added to a digitized polysomnography system (Alice 4, Respironics).

Results: In 6 women with a single fetus in their third trimester, the fetal heart rate monitor band only infrequently needed to be readjusted.

The effects of continuous positive airway pressure on myocardial energetics in patients with heart failure and obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives: We sought to examine the short-term and longer term (6-week) effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on myocardial energetics.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and heart failure (HF) are both states of increased afterload and metabolic demand. Treatment with CPAP may initially reduce stroke volume but subsequently improves left ventricular function.

Exposure time and place: do COPD patients differ from the general population?

Time-activity patterns in a panel of 70 patients with COPD (35 males) are compared to an age-matched subgroup from the randomly sampled Canadian Human Activity Pattern Survey. Total time indoors and outdoors were similar in both groups but significantly more indoor time in COPD subjects was spent at home than the indoor time of controls, who were more often indoors elsewhere. As part of improving their indoor air at home, COPD subjects were significantly more likely to have air conditioning at home.

It's about time: a comparison of Canadian and American time-activity patterns.

This study compares two North American time-activity data bases: the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) of 9386 interviewees in 1992-1994 in the continental USA with the Canadian Human Activity Pattern Survey (CHAPS) of 2381 interviewees in 1996-1997 in four major Canadian cities. Identical surveys and methodology were used to collect this data: random sample telephone selection within the identified telephone exchanges, computer-assisted telephone interviews, overselection of children and weekends in the 24-h recall diary and the same interviewers. Very similar response rates were obtained: 63% (NHAPS) and 64.