Sleep disordered breathing at the extremes of age: the elderly.

Key Points: Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is common and its prevalence increases with age. Despite this high prevalence, SDB is frequently unrecognised and undiagnosed in older people.There is accumulating evidence that SDB in older people is associated with worsening cardio- cerebrovascular, cognitive and functional outcomes.

A Traditional Diet Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Eczema and Wheeze in Colombian Children.

Background: Diet might influence the risk of allergic diseases. Evidence from developing countries with high prevalence of childhood asthma is scant.

Methods: Information on wheeze, rhinitis, and eczema was collected from 3209 children aged 6-7 years in 2005, who were taking part in the International Study on Asthma and Allergy in Children (ISAAC) in Colombia.

Characterising and predicting bleeding in high-risk patients with an acute coronary syndrome.

Objective: In the Apixaban for Prevention of Acute Ischemic Events (APPRAISE-2) trial, the use of apixaban, when compared with placebo, in high-risk patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) resulted in a significant increase in bleeding without a reduction in ischaemic events. The aim of this analysis was to provide further description of these bleeding events and to determine the baseline characteristics associated with bleeding in high-risk post-ACS patients.

Methods: APPRAISE-2 was a multinational clinical trial including 7392 high-risk patients with a recent ACS randomised to apixaban (5 mg twice daily) or placebo.

Ventilatory function in young adults and dietary antioxidant intake.

Dietary antioxidants may protect against poor ventilatory function. We assessed the relation between ventilatory function and antioxidant components of diet in young Chileans. Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and the ratio FEV1/FVC were measured in 1232 adults aged 22-28 years, using a Vitalograph device.

Continuous positive airway pressure in older people with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (PREDICT): a 12-month, multicentre, randomised trial.

Background: The therapeutic and economic benefits of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) syndrome have been established in middle-aged people; however, the benefits in older people are unknown. This trial was designed to address this evidence gap.

Methods: This 12-month, multicentre, randomised trial enrolled patients across 14 National Health Service sleep centres in the UK.

Lung function and gas exchange in Eisenmenger syndrome and their impact on exercise capacity and survival.

Background: Eisenmenger physiology may contribute to abnormal pulmonary mechanics and gas exchange and thus impaired functional capacity. We explored the relationship between lung function and gas exchange parameters with exercise capacity and survival.

Methods: Stable adult patients with Eisenmenger syndrome (N=32) were prospectively studied using spirometry, lung volumes, diffusion capacity, and blood gas analysis, as well as same day measurement of 6-minute walk distance and cardiopulmonary maximal treadmill exercise.

Congenital heart disease beyond the age of 60: emergence of a new population with high resource utilization, high morbidity, and high mortality.

Aims: The population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) is growing and ageing. Limited information about the diagnostic spectrum of this emerging population, its resource utilization at tertiary ACHD centres, and especially about prognostic parameters is available.

Methods And Results: Retrospective cohort study on all ACHD patients ≥60 years of age under active follow-up.

Comprehensive use of cardiopulmonary exercise testing identifies adults with congenital heart disease at increased mortality risk in the medium term.

Background: Parameters of cardiopulmonary exercise testing were recently identified as strong predictors of mortality in adults with congenital heart disease. We hypothesized that combinations of cardiopulmonary exercise testing parameters may provide optimal prognostic information on midterm survival in this population.

Methods And Results: A total of 1375 consecutive adult patients with congenital heart disease (age, 33±13 years) underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing at a single center over a period of 10 years.