Patients suffering from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may turn to different ways to mark liver fat quantities, MD Magazine reports.

A team, led by David Hui, BBS, Medicine & Therapeutics, Chinese University of Hong Kong, examined whether intrahepatic triglyceride content measured by proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) could be the new gold standard for liver fat quantification.

While obstructive sleep apnea is linked to the development of NAFLD, proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy estimating proton density fat fraction is a novel biomarker that is more sensitive than liver biopsies to determine steatosis grade in assessing changes in the liver fat content.

Get the full story at mdmag.com.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-health/sleep-whole-body/no-effect-on-liver-markers-from-cpap-type-for-sleep-apnea-patients/…

After conducting qualitative interviews with patients on hemodialysis and newly diagnosed sleep apnea, researchers found many patients experienced disturbed and unrefreshed sleep, Healio reports.

According to Ginger Chu, MN, of John Hunter Hospital, and colleagues, “the debilitating effects of sleep disturbance is profound.”

“The importance of sleep to patients with [chronic kidney disease] CKD was highlighted in a cross-sectional study of 100 hemodialysis patients, which demonstrated that patients were more willing to increase dialysis time to improve fatigue and sleep quality, than to extend life,” the researchers added. “A recent study of a consultation group involving hemodialysis patients and caregivers identified sleep as a top priority, ranked higher than mortality.”

Get the full story at Healio.com.

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-disorders/breathing-disorders/obstructive-sleep-apnea/patients-hemodialysis-debilitating-effects-with-coexisting-sleep-apnea/…

Sommetrics Inc, which provides products to treat airway obstruction during sleep and in acute care settings, announced that its quality management system has been certified to the ISO 13485:2016 standard. During the audit process required for certification, Sommetrics was also evaluated and found to be in compliance with the standards of the Medical Device Single Audit Program for Canada. “This is an important milestone for Sommetrics,” says Kent Gandola, vice president of engineering and quality systems, in a release. “It reflects the continuing effort of our employees to build a solid foundation for making the transition from a R&D company to one poised for commercial success.”

As a result of the ISO and MDSAP certifications, Sommetrics is now able to apply to HealthCanada for market clearance of the aerSleep device targeted for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). “These certifications create a number of opportunities for Sommetrics,” says Richard Rose, MD, president and CEO, in a release. “It’s a major step towards taking aerSleep into global markets where there is a growing need for better-accepted alternative ways of treating …

ResMed has launched ResMed MaskSelector, a digital tool to make remote patient mask selection and sizing easier and more effective.

ResMed MaskSelector creates personalized ResMed mask recommendations based on a patient’s sleep attributes and facial measurements. An home medical equipment (HME) supplier can provide a HIPAA-compliant single-use link via text or email to a patient, who then answers a brief questionnaire and enters three facial measurements into the ResMed MaskSelector portal. Based on the patient’s responses, the tool will recommend one of the company’s masks, along with options for alternate ResMed mask models and sizes.

HMEs say they need better remote capabilities to fit and select masks for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent survey of roughly 300 clinicians. Fifty-five percent of respondents stated mask selection was the area in which they either experienced or expected the most challenges with remote setup patients. Additionally, 54% said they were likely to continue offering remote CPAP setups to their new patients in the future.

[RELATED: How to Get Sleep Apnea Patients Into Well-Fitting Interfaces…Remotely]

“ResMed MaskSelector is the digital …

Typically reserved to test the waters for patients who can’t afford a custom device, temporary oral appliances are having a moment.

By Lisa Spear

Patients who have obstructive sleep apnea may be leery of positive airway pressure therapy while the coronavirus continues to be transmitted in the United States, due to the risk of spreading the virus to others via aerosolization, says Nancy Addy, DDS, president of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM). They may also worry about not having access to distilled water for CPAP humidification, she says. Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea circumvents these challenges, but safer-at-home orders mean dental sleep medicine practitioners may be challenged to get the bite impressions needed for the creation of custom appliances.

As a way forward, some providers have found a solution in temporary oral appliances. These interim therapy devices have historically been used when patients are waiting for a more permanent device or if they can’t afford a custom device, but some clinicians think these short-term devices could fill a bigger role in patient care while …

Forbes interviews Sigurjon Kristjansson, the CEO of Nox Health, a global sleep health company.

According to Kristjansson, estimates indicate that sleep problems affect as many as 45 percent of the U.S. population on a nightly basis, and poor sleep costs American companies hundreds of billions each year.

“Sleep disorders are linked with high-cost conditions like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and depression, to name a few,” Kristjansson said. “In the U.S., one in four people suffers from sleep apnea, which is just one of more than 80 recognized sleep disorders. Sleep apnea and its associated conditions cost businesses an estimated $165 billion per year in healthcare spend—but the safety and productivity losses cost even more. Research estimates a loss of $320 billion in accidents, lost productivity and absenteeism on an annual basis.”

So where does the pandemic fit into all of this?

As we return to the workplace, most CEOs have three things on their mind: supporting the health of their employees as the pandemic threat persists, increasing productivity with—for some—a leaner staff, and cutting costs to weather the economic

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Sleep Review annually rounds up the sleep medicine devices, pharmaceuticals, and more that earned US Food and Drug Administration clearance.

In 2019, those included:

Released by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd, the F&P Vitera features several technologies for the first time in a Fisher & Paykel full face mask, including RollFit XT, VentiCool, and VisiBlue.

WAKIX (pitolisant), a first-in-class medication marketed by Harmony Biosciences LLC, is approved for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness in adult patients with narcolepsy. WAKIX works through a novel mechanism of action to increase the synthesis and release of histamine, a wake-promoting neurotransmitter, in the brain.

WatchPAT 300 by Itamar Medical is a home sleep apnea diagnostic device that utilizes peripheral arterial tone and measures up to 7 channels via three points of contact. Within one-minute post study, the raw data is downloaded and auto-scored for an AHI for obstructive sleep apnea and cAHI for central sleep apnea.

WatchPAT ONE, the newest member of Itamar Medical’s WatchPAT family, offers the same simplicity, accuracy, and reliability as WatchPAT 300 but does not …

Sleep specialist Barry Krakow, MD, writes in The Epoch Times that wide-ranging effects from sleep apnea could undermine COVID-19 recovery for some patients.

Although these relationships are complex, obesity worsens sleep apnea, and sleep apnea causes and worsens hypertension. Coming full circle, many sleep researchers also think sleep apnea amplifies the negative influences of obesity such as exacerbating diabetes and kidney disease. As OSA is a serious medical condition with critical relationships to obesity and hypertension, the two factors affecting morbidity (severity of illness) and mortality (lethality of illness) in CCP virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, cases, by extension it makes sense to learn whether these patients are also suffering from undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea.

Read the full story at theepochtimes.com

from Sleep Review https://www.sleepreviewmag.com/sleep-disorders/breathing-disorders/missing-sleep-apnea-link-may-affect-covid-19-outcomes/…