New research has examined the impact of an infant’s sleep duration and sleep disruption due to sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on cognitive and language development at two years of age. A separate study has identified 4 distinct types of SDB that occur in infants, along with unique risk factors associated with each.

The findings, published in two papers in the August 2018 issue of Sleep Medicine, will help doctors better predict which children are at risk for sleep disorders and intervene early with treatment.

Piush Mandhane, MD, PhD, FRCPC, an associate professor of pediatrics in the University of Alberta’s (U of A) Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, and leader of the CHILD Study’s Edmonton site, led both studies.

“Short sleep duration and symptoms of SDB ranging from snoring to sleep apnea have been associated with multiple health, learning, and behavioral problems in children,” says Mandhane in a release. “In the CHILD Study, we were interested to find out if limited sleep time and sleep disruption affected cognitive and language development in preschool children.”

Importance of Total and Nighttime Sleep

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The F&P Vitera positive airway pressure interface for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is now available for sale in the United States.

Released by Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corp Ltd, the mask features several technologies for the first time in a Fisher & Paykel full face mask.

• RollFit XT: RollFit was on the company’s previous generation of masks, but the new RollFit XT technology brings 93% more roll and comes with a variable thickness silicone seal. When combined with the new enhanced stability bar system, XT provides dynamic support: stability and sealing irrespective of patients facial geometry and movement while sleeping. Also new is a quick release forehead clip and other usability features to enhance overall ease-of-use.
• VentiCool: This breathable technology means that a proprietary fabric helps to dissipate heat and moisture, providing a comfortable patient experience.
• VisiBlue:  Visual cues facilitate simpler, quicker, and more intuitive patient education and to aid the patient in fitting, disassembly, and reassembly.

“On full-face masks, leaks are the number one complaint from patients,” says Justin Callahan, president of the Fisher & Paykel Healthcare US business,

Hackensack Meridian Health Hackensack University Medical Center announced the implementation of a pilot program to screen cardiology patients for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Department of Sleep Medicine and the Heart and Vascular Hospital have implemented a collaborative clinical initiative to screen patients with cardiovascular disease, including atrial fibrillation (AFib) for OSA using Itamar Medical’s WatchPAT.

“Sleep apnea is very common in patients with atrial fibrillation, yet it’s not uniformly diagnosed, in part because it can be a major inconvenience and challenge for patients to stay overnight in a sleep lab at a medical facility,” says David Landers, MD, vice chair, Heart and Vascular Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, in a release. “Sleep apnea is directly associated with cardiac disease. Getting treatment for this condition is key.”

The program, which began earlier this year, is being piloted at two cardiology offices. Patients are screened for risk factors, which include having a body mass index (BMI) over 35 and who have been told by a partner that they snore.

“Approximately 22 million adults suffer from sleep apnea, but what’s even

The condition is on the rise because the most frequent cause is obesity, which continues its unrelenting climb among American adults, reports The New York Times.

Although the woman in her 50s had been effectively treated for depression, she remained plagued by symptoms that often accompany it: fatigue, sleepiness and lethargy, even though she thought she was getting enough sleep.

With depression no longer causing her persistent symptoms, her psychiatrist advised her to consult a sleep specialist.

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Treating patients with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea with positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy is associated with reduced acute care visits and health care expenditures, according to a recent study.

Every one-hour increase in PAP usage per night was associated with an 8% decrease in inpatient visits (rate ratio 0.92) and a 4% decrease in overall acute care visits (RR 0.96). PAP adherence also was associated with a significantly lower number of emergency department visits and inpatient stays, and increasing PAP usage was associated with a lower likelihood of having positive costs from these visits. Among patients with emergency department costs, PAP adherence was associated with 27% lower costs.

“While it’s not surprising that treatment of moderate or severe sleep apnea is good for overall health, the fact that PAP treatment in a relatively short time frame was associated with an impact of this significance was unexpected,” says lead author Douglas B. Kirsch, MD, American Academy of Sleep Medicine president, medical director of sleep medicine at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC, and clinical professor in the Department of Medicine

New research from Taiwan shows that severe sleep apnea is a risk factor for developing diabetic macular edema, a complication of diabetes that can cause vision loss or blindness. Diabetic macular edema was also more difficult to treat in patients with severe sleep apnea. While earlier research showed a weak connection between the two conditions, evidence is mounting that sleep apnea exacerbates underlying eye disease. The researchers presented their study at AAO 2019, the 123rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

When people with diabetes have poor control over their blood sugar levels, the tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye can become damaged. This condition is called diabetic retinopathy and it’s a leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Sometimes, tiny bulges protrude from the blood vessels, leaking fluid and blood into the retina. This fluid can cause swelling or edema in an area of the retina that allows us to see clearly.

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, disrupting sleep and causing blood oxygen levels to

Oral appliance maker Oventus Medical Ltd has launched its first five “lab in lab” sites in the United States and Canada to coincide with the launch of the O₂Vent Optima oral device within US sleep and dental channels. In September, the O₂Vent Optima received regulatory clearance from the FDA.

“Since we announced our first Canadian agreements in June and US agreements in July, our team has worked with a number of clinical delivery sites to implement our ‘lab in lab’ model. Bookings are now being taken across the first 5 sites,” says Oventus CEO and managing director, Chris Hart, MPhil, BSc, BDSc. “The current time from signing an agreement to a site taking patient bookings is about 60 days. Once bookings can be taken, first booked revenue is expected within 60 days and ramp time to minimum quotas can be up to 90 days. This means sales will increase in the December quarter while sales in the September quarter will be roughly in line with previous quarters. We are actively investing funds from

As the widespread outages in the state continued for a second day, fears grew for sick and older residents and those who rely on medical equipment, reports The New York Times.

About 3 a.m. on Thursday he was jolted awake because his sleep apnea breathing machine stopped working.

“All of a sudden, I was like, ‘I can’t breathe,’” he said.

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