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, 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…)
Allergies, Author Interviews, Heart Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Pediatrics, Sleep Disorders, Surgical Research / 16.11.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Nina Berentzen Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and Health Services National Institute for Public Health and the Environment Bilthoven The Netherlands MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: This study in 11-12 year old children shows that self-reported characteristics of sleep quality were not associated with blood pressure and HbA1c; and that in girls, but not in boys, some sleep characteristics were associated with anthropometric outcomes (BMI, waist circumference) and cholesterol levels. More specifically, in girls, longer time in bed was associated with lower BMI and waist circumference; having night-time awakenings with higher total cholesterol, going late to bed while rising early with higher total and HDL cholesterol; and feeling sleepy/tired during daytime with lower HDL cholesterol and with higher total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. We report new findings for daytime outcomes of sleep quality that were not studied before in relation to cardiometabolic risk; e.g. difficulty with getting up in the morning, feeling rested after waking, and feeling sleepy or tired during the day. Our study therefore offers insight not only in characteristics of sleep at night, but also in consequences of sleep during the day. (more…)
Author Interviews, Pediatrics, Sleep Disorders, Weight Research / 05.11.2013

Chantelle Hart, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Public Health Center for Obesity Research & Education Department of Public Health 3223 N. Broad Street Philadelphia, PA 19140MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Chantelle Hart, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Public Health Center for Obesity Research & Education Department of Public Health Philadelphia, PA 19140   MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Hart: Following one week of sleeping their typical amount, children 8-11 years old were asked to decrease and increase their time in bed by 1.5 hours/night for one week each in random order.  Compared to when children decreased their sleep, when they increased their sleep, they reported consuming 134 kcal/day fewer, had lower fasting levels of leptin, a hunger-regulating hormone that is also highly correlated with the amount of adipose tissue, and weighed approximately 0.5 lbs less.  Reported decreases in food intake were most pronounced later in the day. (more…)
Author Interviews, Gastrointestinal Disease, PLoS, Sleep Disorders / 04.07.2013

Keith Summa MD/PhD Student Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, Illinois, United States of AmericaMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Keith Summa MD/PhD Student Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago, Illinois, United States of America   Disruption of the Circadian Clock in Mice Increases Intestinal Permeability and Promotes Alcohol-Induced Pathology and Inflammation MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: The main findings of the study were that disruption of circadian rhythms, which we achieved using independent genetic and environmental strategies in mice, leads to impaired function of the intestinal epithelial barrier. This loss of epithelial barrier integrity, which has been associated with numerous diseases, results in "gut leakiness," a phenomenon in which endotoxin from gut bacteria can cross the intestinal wall and enter circulation, promoting inflammation. In particular, using in a disease model of gut-derived endotoxemia and inflammation, alcoholic liver disease, we found the circadian disruption interacted with alcohol, leading to increased gut leakiness, inflammation and liver damage. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders, University of Pennsylvania / 07.06.2013

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Frederick M. Brown, Ph.D. Associate Professor The Pennsylvania State University Department of Psychology, Cognitive and Wellness Director, Human Performance Rhythms Laboratory MedicalResearch.com:  What was the primary finding of your study? Dr. Brown: Time of day of an occupation, as well as a regular versus irregular routine, may influence whether a person wants to go into it or not. Most educational research has focused on academic major selection motivated by job aptitude, personality, and sociocultural factors. Our findings suggest that a person’s genetically determined built-in morning versus evening (M/E) preference for best time of day to work or sleep may influence career choice in two important ways: This M/E preference for work and sleep is related to 1) personality and to 2) the time of day the job is executed. These may interact with how much sleep a person thinks they need. In addition to the personality traits associated with M/E, such as morning people being more introverted and evening people more extroverted, an individual’s choice of major may be influenced by their preference for the typical work hours of a profession, such as a routine 9-to-5 schedule versus irregular evening and weekend work. (more…)
Author Interviews, Mental Health Research, Sleep Disorders, University of Pennsylvania / 18.05.2013

MedicalResearch.com eInterview with: Linden Oliver, MA, Clinical Research Coordinator University of Pennsylvania Behavioral Sleep Medicine Research Program Philadelphia, Pa MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We found that less sleep is associated with greater suicide risk in those with insomnia. Specifically, we looked at suicide risk in people with insomnia, and also asked how much sleep they got in the past month. In those with some suicide risk, the likelihood of being high risk (versus low risk) decreased by 72% for every hour of sleep that person reported getting at night. (more…)
Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, Diabetes, JAMA, Medical Research Centers, Melatonin, Sleep Disorders / 04.04.2013

Dr. Ciaran McMullan MD from Channing Division of Network Medicine in Boston, a research division within the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston MassMedicalResearch.com Interview with Dr. Ciaran McMullan MD from Channing Division of Network Medicine in Boston, a research division within the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Mass MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. McMullan: In this observational study performed in non-diabetic women we found that lower nocturnal melatonin secretion predicted future risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When we categorized the individuals by category of nocturnal melatonin secretion we found that those in the lowest category had twice the risk as those in the highest category of nocturnal melatonin secretion. This association remained even after adjusting for other well established risk factors for development of diabetes including body mass index, physical activity, dietary factors, family history of diabetes, smoking and hypertension. This increased risk translates into the lower melatonin secretion group having an additional 5 cases of incident diabetes per 1000 person years than the high melatonin secretion group. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders / 30.03.2013

 MedicalResearch.com Interview with Matt T. Bianchi MD PhD MMSc Assistant Professor Department of Neurology Director, Sleep Division Massachusetts General HospitalMatt T. Bianchi MD PhD MMSc Assistant Professor Department of Neurology Director, Sleep Division Massachusetts General Hospital MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Bianchi: We showed that patients reporting symptoms of insomnia tend to under-estimate the amount of time they slept during overnight sleep testing in our clinical sleep laboratory. (more…)
Author Interviews, Sleep Disorders / 27.03.2013

 MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Christer Hublin Apulaisylilääkäri, neurologian dosentti (Helsingin yliopisto) - Assistant Chief Medical Officer, Docent (Adjunct Professor) in Neurology (Helsinki University) Unilääketieteen erityispätevyys (Suomen lääkäriliitto) Sleep medicine specialist (NOSMAC/ESRS) Työterveyslaitos - Finnish Institute of Occupational Health FIN-00250 Helsinki Finland MedicalResearch.com What are the main findings of the study? Answer: We found in an adult twin cohort (the Finnish Twin Cohort) that the proportion of variance in sleep length accounted for by genetic effects was relatively low (about one third) but stable (correlation 0.76 over a period of 15 years.). In contrast, the proportion of variance accounted for by environmental effects was high (about 0.7) and these effects were less stable (correlation over the time period 0.18). The proportion of short sleepers was more than doubled in both genders, whereas in the proportion of long sleepers no major change was seen during the follow-up. To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal study providing data on the contribution of genetic factors to stability and change of sleep length over time. (more…)