Author Interviews, Insomnia, Occupational Health / 04.09.2014

Tea Lallukka, PhD Finnish Institute of Occupational Health & University of Helsinki, Hjelt Institute, Department of Public Health University of Helsinki, FinlandMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tea Lallukka, PhD Finnish Institute of Occupational Health & University of Helsinki, Hjelt Institute, Department of Public Health University of Helsinki, Finland Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lallukka: Our study used nationally representative survey data linked with register data on medically certified sickness absence among working -aged Finnish women and men. We showed consistent associations between insomnia symptoms, sleep duration, and being tired and sickness absence. The follow-up lasted around 7 years. Sickness absence days were derived from comprehensive registers from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The associations were broadly similar among women and men. Furthermore, they remained even after considering key correlates of sleep and sickness absence including socioeconomic position, working conditions, health behaviors, obesity, and mental and physical health. Health data were derived from physical examination conducted by field physicians. These data are more objective, and help provide more robust evidence. We further covered all key sleep disturbances and sleep duration for more comprehensive understanding about the contribution of sleep to sickness absence. Finally, a novel method developed by the authors (Härkänen & Kaikkonen) allowed us to estimate the difference in sickness absence days per working year among those reporting and not reporting different sleep disturbances. Using the difference in days absent from work, we were further able to estimate the hypothetical direct costs of sickness absence highlighting notable societal significance of sleep. Thus, a large part of all costs of sickness absence are attributable to poor sleep. For example, those sleeping 5 hours or less or 10 hours or more, were absent from work ca 5-9 days more, as compared to those with optimal sleep length. The optimal sleep length with the lowest risk of sickness absence was 7 hours 46 minutes for men and 7 hours 38 minutes for women. (more…)
Author Interviews, Lancet, Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 30.08.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Mary J Morrell Faculty of Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute Professor of Sleep & Respiratory Physiology Imperial College, London Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Morrell: Our results showed that when older patients with obstructive sleep apnea were treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) they had significantly less daytime sleepiness than those not treated with CPAP. A comparison of the costs and benefits of treatment suggested that CPAP would meet the usual criteria for being funded by the NHS. (more…)
Author Interviews, Insomnia, Mental Health Research / 31.07.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Pasquale K Alvaro School of Psychology University of Adelaide South Australia, Australia Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: In adolescents, insomnia is related to depression beyond chronotype (a classification system for circadian rhythms or body clock), anxiety and age. Insomnia is also related to Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) beyond chronotype, depression and age. Depression accounts for the relationship between insomnia and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and Social Phobia (SP). Furthermore, an evening chronotype  (delayed sleep phase, that is, preferring to go to bed in the early morning) predicts insomnia beyond depression, anxiety and age. Moreover, an evening chronotype predicts depression beyond insomnia, anxiety and age. Finally, insomnia and depression account for the relationships between an evening chronotype and panic disorder, OCD, SAD and SP. (more…)
Author Interviews, Schizophrenia, Sleep Disorders / 08.07.2014

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Ettinger Departments of Psychology University of Bonn Bonn, GermanyMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Prof. Dr. Ulrich Ettinger Departments of Psychology University of Bonn Bonn, Germany Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Prof. Ettinger: We found that 24-hour sleep deprivation induced subjective cognitive, perceptual and emotional alterations resembling the symptoms of schizophrenia. We also observed that sleep deprivation led to a deficit in a sensorimotor filter mechanism called prepulse inhibition (PPI), similar to the disturbance seen in schizophrenia. (more…)
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Diabetes, Diabetes Care, Sleep Disorders / 08.07.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:Vincenza Spallone MD PhD Endocrinology and Neurology Department of Systems Medicine Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy Vincenza Spallone MD PhD Endocrinology and Neurology Department of Systems Medicine Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy   Medical Research: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Spallone:To investigate a possible relationship between painful diabetic polyneuropathy (PDPN) and the circadian pattern of blood pressure (BP), we performed ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in 113 diabetic patients with PDPN, with painless diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and without DPN. In addition, we evaluated neuropathic pain, sleep, risk for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), autonomic function, and in a subgroup of patients, depressive symptoms. The main finding was that patients with painful diabetic polyneuropathy displayed impaired nocturnal fall in BP compared to those without neuropathy, and higher nocturnal systolic blood pressure than the other two groups. Although the day-night change (∆) in blood pressure failed to reach a significant difference between painful diabetic polyneuropathy and DPN groups, nondipping (the loss of nocturnal fall in systolic BP) was more strictly associated with painful diabetic polyneuropathy than DPN and in multivariate analysis, including comorbidities and most potential confounders, neuropathic pain was an independent determinant of ∆ BP and nocturnal systolic blood pressure. In summary, we showed a novel association of peripheral diabetic neuropathic pain with nondipping and higher systolic nocturnal blood pressure, which was not entirely explained through pain dependent sleep problems or other pain- or diabetes-related comorbidities, like CAN, OSA and depression. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders / 04.07.2014

Nathaniel F. Watson, MD, MSc Professor of Neurology, University of Washington Co-director, University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center Director, Harborview Medical Center Sleep Clinic Seattle, WashingtonMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nathaniel F. Watson, MD, MSc Professor of Neurology, University of Washington Co-director, University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center Director, Harborview Medical Center Sleep Clinic Seattle, Washington MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Watson: The Singh Index is a composite measure of socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods. We found that as Singh Index increased, sleep duration reduced. This was true in the total sample of twins, and within twin pairs. The fact that we saw this within twin pairs means the association is present after controlling for genetics and shared environment, which substantially strengthens the association. (more…)
Aging, Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders / 03.07.2014

Dr. June Chi-Yan Lo Research Fellow Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School SingaporeMedicalResearch.com: Interview with: Dr. June Chi-Yan Lo Research Fellow Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lo: The Duke-NUS study examined the data of 66 older Chinese adults, from the Singapore-Longitudinal Aging Brain Study. Participants underwent structural MRI brain scans measuring brain volume and neuropsychological assessments testing cognitive function every two years. Additionally, their sleep duration was recorded through a questionnaire. Those who slept fewer hours showed evidence of faster brain aging and decline in cognitive performance. (more…)
Author Interviews, Case Western, Sleep Disorders / 18.06.2014

Ronnie Fass, M.D., FACG, Professor of Medicine Case Western Reserve University Director, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Head, Esophageal and Swallowing Center, Metro Health Medical Center Cleveland, OHMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Ronnie Fass, M.D., FACG, Professor of Medicine Case Western Reserve University Director, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Head, Esophageal and Swallowing Center, Metro Health Medical Center Cleveland, OH MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Fass: This is the first study to compare the extent of acid reflux between nighttime sleep and daytime naps in patients with Gastroesophageal reflux disease. The results of our study show that naps are associated with significantly greater esophageal acid exposure compared to sleep. Acid reflux events were more frequent and their total duration was longer during naps when compared with acid reflux events during nighttime sleep. Additionally, the fraction of time that the subjects were experiencing acid reflux with pH < 4 was significantly higher during naps than nighttime sleep and subjects experienced more symptoms due to acid reflux during their nap than their sleep. (more…)
Author Interviews, NEJM, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, University of Pennsylvania, Weight Research / 13.06.2014

Julio A. Chirinos, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine Director, CTRC Cardiovascular Phenotyping Unit Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Director of Non-Invasive Imaging Philadelphia VA Medical CenterMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Julio A. Chirinos, MD, PhD Assistant Professor of Medicine Director, CTRC Cardiovascular Phenotyping Unit Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Director of Non-Invasive Imaging Philadelphia VA Medical Center MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Chirinos: The main findings of the study is that, among patients with obesity and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, obesity, rather than OSA, appears to be the primary cause of inflammation, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. However, both obesity and obstructive sleep apnea appear to be causally related to hypertension. In this population, weight loss, but not CPAP, can be expected to reduce the burden of inflammation, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. However, CPAP, among patients who comply with therapy, can be expected to provide a significant incremental benefit on blood pressure. The latter is an important potential benefit of CPAP and should not be disregarded. (more…)
Author Interviews, Diabetes, JAMA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 11.06.2014

Tetyana Kendzerska MD, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, ONMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Tetyana Kendzerska MD, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Institute for Clinical Evaluative Science, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center, Toronto, ON MedicalResearch: What are the main findings of the study? Dr.  Kendzerska: Based on a large sample of more than 8,500 participants with suspected sleep apnea, our study shows that among people with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and controlling for risk factors for diabetes development, initial OSA severity predicted risk for incident diabetes. Measures of the physiologic consequences of OSA (e.g., low level of oxygen, sleep deprivation) were also risk factors for diabetes in this population. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cognitive Issues, Geriatrics, Memory, Sleep Disorders / 02.05.2014

dr_elizabeth_devoreMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Elizabeth Devore, ScD Associate Epidemiologist Brigham and Women’s Hospital Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Devore: In this study, we examined sleep duration and memory performance in a group of ~15,000 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study. We found that women with sleep durations of 5 or fewer hours/day or 9 or more hours/day, either in midlife or later life, had worse memory at older ages than those sleeping 7 hours/day. In addition, women with sleep durations that changed by two or more hours/day from midlife to later life performed worse on memory tests compared to those whose sleep duration did not change during that time period.The magnitude of these memory differences was approximately equivalent to being 1-2 years older in age. (more…)
Author Interviews, CHEST, Menopause, Obstructive Sleep Apnea / 20.04.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rodrigo Pinto Pedrosa, MD, PhD Sleep and Heart Laboratory, Pronto Socorro Cardiológico de Pernambuco Pernambuclo, Brazil MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Pedrosa: Perimenopause is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. This study evaluated the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and arterial stiffness and hypertension in perimenopausal women. OSA (apnea-hypopnea index: ≥5 events/hour) and moderate/severe OSA (apnea-hypopnea index: ≥15 events/h) were diagnosed in 111 (40.1%) and 31 (11.1%) of women, respectively.  Women with moderate/severe obstructive sleep apnea  had a higher prevalence of hypertension, were prescribed more medications for hypertension, had higher awake blood pressure,  nocturnal blood pressure,  diastolic blood pressure, as well as higher arterial stiffness (pulse wave velocity: 11.5 [10.1 to 12.3] vs 9.5 [8.6 to 10.8] m/s, p<0.001) than women without obstructive sleep apnea, respectively. Oxygen desaturation index during the night was independently associated with 24h arterial blood pressure and with arterial stiffness. (more…)
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Pulmonary Disease, Respiratory, Sleep Disorders / 03.03.2014

Dr. Vincent Yi-Fong Su Department of Chest Medicine Taipei Veterans General Hospital Taipei, TaiwanMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Vincent Yi-Fong Su Department of Chest Medicine Taipei Veterans General Hospital Taipei, Taiwan MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We found interestingly that patients with sleep apnea experienced a 1.20-fold (95% CI, 1.10-1.31; p <0.001) increase in incident pneumonia compared to patients without sleep apnea. We also demonstrated an “exposure-response relationship,” in that the patients with more severe sleep apnea might have a higher risk for pneumonia than did those of milder severity. (more…)
Author Interviews, Pain Research, Rheumatology, Sleep Disorders / 14.02.2014

dr_john_mcbethMedicalResearch.com Interview: Dr. John McBeth Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre Keele University in Staffordshire MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. McBeth: In this study, reporting musculoskeletal pain was common with just under half of participants reporting some pain and one quarter reporting widespread pain. Of those who were free of WP at baseline, 19% reported new onset widespread pain at three year follow up. In addition to osteoarthritis, sleep, cognitive impairment, anxiety and physical health independently predicted the onset of widespread pain and are important treatment targets. In this study non-restorative sleep was the strongest predictor of new onset widespread pain. Sleep is a modifiable target that could improve outcome in this patient group. (more…)
Author Interviews, Exercise - Fitness, Sleep Disorders / 12.02.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Matthew Buman PhD School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University Arizona State University, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion Phoenix, AZMatthew Buman PhD School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University Arizona State University, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion Phoenix, AZ MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Buman: We found that that exercise at night (within 4 hours of bedtime) was not associated with poor sleep compared with individuals that did not exercise before bed. However, we also found that morning exercise appears to be associated with optimal sleep quality. (more…)
Author Interviews, CHEST, Pediatrics, Sleep Disorders / 10.02.2014

David Gozal, MD The Herbert T. Abelson Professor and Chair Department of Pediatrics Physician-in-Chief, Comer Children's Hospital The University of Chicago Chicago, IL 60637MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David Gozal, MD The Herbert T. Abelson Professor and Chair Department of Pediatrics Physician-in-Chief, Comer Children's Hospital The University of Chicago  Chicago, IL 60637 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Gozal: Our study shows that in children with mild obstructive apnea, treatment with an anti-inflammatory combination of 2 medications, namely nasal corticosteroid and oral montelukast is associated with favorable outcomes in the vast majority of the children. Thus, rather than pursue treatment with adenotonsillectomy as is currently the case in most places, this study paves the way for non-surgical alternative therapies in pediatric OSA. (more…)
Antioxidants, Author Interviews, Menopause, Sleep Disorders / 06.02.2014

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Chih-Jen Chang, MD Department of Family Medicine National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Chang:  Postmenopausal women without vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) have poorer sleep quality than premenopausal women. In addition, menopause and snoring are associated with an increased risk of poor sleep quality independently of cardiometabolic factors and lifestyle. (more…)
Author Interviews, Biomarkers, Sleep Disorders / 05.01.2014

Jonathan Cedernaes PhD Department of Neuroscience Uppsala University SwedenMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Jonathan Cedernaes PhD Department of Neuroscience Uppsala University  Sweden   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study? Dr. Cedernaes:  We found that two peripheral blood markers were modestly but significantly increased in healthy young participants after a single night of sleep deprivation, as compared with a normal night of sleep. These two markers, S-100B and NSE, are for example used as markers of acute ischemic injury in the brain, and are also increased following concussions. S-100B is produced mainly by glial cells and also increases after injury to the blood brain barrier. NSE is instead produced by neurons and is regarded as being more specific for neuronal damage, although it can also be produced by peripheral cells. (more…)
Author Interviews, CHEST, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Respiratory / 02.01.2014

Dr. Peter Lindenauer MD MS Director, Center for Quality of Care Research Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USMedicalResearch.com Interview Invitation with: Dr. Peter Lindenauer MD MS Director, Center for Quality of Care Research Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA, US MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Among a cohort of 250,000 patients hospitalized for pneumonia at 347 US hospitals, those with a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea were twice as likely to be intubated at the time of hospital admission than patients without sleep apnea.  In addition, patients with sleep apnea had approximately 50% higher risk of needing to be transferred to the ICU after initial admission to a regular bed, and a 70% increased risk of requiring intubation later in the hospital stay.  Patients with sleep apnea stayed longer in the hospital and incurred higher costs than those without sleep apnea. (more…)
Blood Pressure - Hypertension, JAMA, Sleep Disorders / 16.12.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Miguel-Ángel Martínez-García Respiratory Department, Hospital Universitario y Politécnico La Fe Valencia, Spain MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of this study: Answer: The main findings of the study are: 1. The treatment with CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) achieves a clinically and statistically significant reduction of blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension (blood pressure that remains above goal in spite of the use of at least three antihypertensive drugs) and obstructive sleep apnea. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brain Injury, Nutrition, Sleep Disorders / 15.12.2013

Miranda M. Lim, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Sleep Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science UniversityMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Miranda M. Lim, MD, PhD Assistant Professor, Sleep Medicine Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Lim: People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have persistent sleep-wake disturbances including excessive daytime sleepiness and nighttime insomnia, yet the link between a hard blow to the head and drowsiness remains a mystery. We report that a dietary supplement containing branched chain amino acids helps keep mice with TBI awake and alert. The findings suggest that branched chain amino acids, something all humans produce from foods in their normal diets, could potentially alleviate sleep problems associated with TBI. In experiments with brain-injured mice that had trouble staying awake, we found that feeding the animals a dietary supplement enriched with branched chain amino acids improved wakefulness. Treated mice not only stayed continuously awake for longer periods of time, they also showed more orexin neuron activation, neurons known to be involved in maintaining wakefulness. (Previous studies have shown that people with narcolepsy lose significant amounts of orexins.) Branched chain amino acids are the building blocks of neurotransmitters, the chemicals released by neurons in the brain, including glutamate and GABA. We believe that branched chain amino acids act to restore the excitability of orexin neurons after brain injury, which could potentially promote wakefulness. Further studies are needed to pinpoint the exact mechanism of branched chain amino acids effect on sleep pathways in the brain, and to determine any side effects. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Weight Research / 06.12.2013

Dr G. Neil Thomas, 
Regional Director, NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands 
 Deputy Director, Master of Public Heath Programme 
Reader in Epidemiology Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
 School of Health and Population Sciences
 College of Medical and Dental Sciences The University of Birmingham
 Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TTMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr G. Neil Thomas, 
Regional Director, NIHR Research Design Service West Midlands Deputy Director, Master of Public Heath Programme 
Reader in Epidemiology Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Biostatistics
 School of Health and Population Sciences
 College of Medical and Dental Sciences The University of Birmingham
 Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Thomas: This population of severely obese individuals (mean BMI 47kg/m2) from a regional specialist weight management service poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI) and daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) were strongly associated with poorer quality of life (Impact of Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite) (more…)
Author Interviews, General Medicine, Hospital Readmissions, Sleep Disorders / 06.12.2013

Dr. Takatoshi Kasai, MD, PhD Department of Cardiology and Cardio-Respiratory Sleep Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JapaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Takatoshi Kasai, MD, PhD Department of Cardiology and Cardio-Respiratory Sleep Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Kasai: Sleep disordered breathing, determined using predischarge nocturnal pulse oximetry, is prevalent and is an independent predictor of the combined end point of readmission and mortality in hospitalized patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction after acute decompensated heart failure. (more…)
Author Interviews, Pediatrics, Sleep Disorders / 19.11.2013

Dr. Kathryn Orzech PhD Postdoctoral fellow,Charting the Digital Lifespan University of Dundee, Scotland, UKMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Kathryn Orzech  PhD Postdoctoral fellow,Charting the Digital Lifespan University of Dundee, Scotland, UK   MedicalResesarch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Orzech: We found that acute illnesses, such as colds, flu, and gastroenteritis were more common among healthy adolescents with shorter sleep.  Specifically, our main analysis found that reported bouts of illness (analyzed on a bouts-of-illness-per-interview basis) declined with longer sleep for both male and female high school students.  Longer sleep was also generally protective against school absences that students attributed to illness. There were sex differences, with males reporting fewer illness bouts than females, even with similar sleep durations.  This is consistent with another recent study that showed a lower impact of shorter sleep on male adolescents (in that case the outcome was male adiposity), but more research is needed. We also conducted a secondary analysis to examine total sleep time in matched 6-day windows before illness and before wellness in the same adolescents. Although the number of participants who met our strict criteria for a healthy 6-day window before illness or wellness was only 18 (I was amazed at how difficult it was to find adolescents who reported being completely well for 6 consecutive days), we were able to see a trend in the data toward shorter sleep before illness vs. wellness. Because of the difficulty in comparing sleep before illness vs. wellness, we conducted a qualitative analysis as well, choosing two 17 year old males who were both shorter sleepers, but who reported very different illness profiles - 0 days of illness vs. 35 days of illness across the school term. An in-depth look at notes made by interviewers allowed us to create brief case studies to illustrate that not all shorter sleepers are alike.  More irregular sleep timing across weeknights and weekends (much shorter sleep during the week and longer sleep times on the weekend), and a preference for scheduling work and social time later in the evening hours may both contribute to differences in illness outcomes. (more…)
Author Interviews, CMAJ, Sleep Disorders / 18.11.2013

Mohamed El Shayeb MD, MSc Health Technology and Policy Unit University of Alberta 3025 Research Transition Facility Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2V2MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Mohamed El Shayeb MD, MSc Health Technology and Policy Unit University of Alberta 3025 Research Transition Facility Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G2V2 MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. El Shayeb: Our study shows that limited channel level-3 portable devices, used at home, are of good diagnostic value compared to the comprehensive reference-standard level-1 sleep tests conducted in lab in the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (the most common subtype of sleep disordered breathing.)

Were any of the findings unexpected? None of the findings were unexpected. Level-3 portable devices are commonly used in clinical practice; however, this technology has been widely disseminated, without solid evidence about their diagnostic performance or the subpopulation of sleep disordered breathing patients who are most appropriately diagnosed with them. Our research provides a high level of evidence on the diagnostic performance of these devices, and most importantly, defines the subgroup of patients who are eligible for this test (patients with simple obstructive sleep apnea, and without significant comorbidities.) (more…)