Sleep Apnea Study

Researchers have been investigating sleep and its effects on the human population for a long time.  One of the current focuses is on sleep apnea, a sleep disorder characterized by frequent stops in breathing.  Consequences of sleep apnea can be serious, including hypertension, stroke and cardiovascular disease, and currently affects over 18 million Americans.  Sleep apnea study, therefore, can benefit a major portion of the population.

The National Sleep Foundation, the American Sleep Apnea Association, and The National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, are a few organizations who conduct sleep apnea studies.  These sleep apnea study researchers not only examine the origin and the effects of the disorder, but other diseases and disorders that can be affected by sleep apnea.

One such sleep apnea study is The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of NIH’s "Sleep Heart Health Study" (SHHS).  NHLBI reported in April of 2000 that middle-aged and older adults with sleep apnea showed a 45 percent greater risk of hypertension--a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  The sleep apnea study involved more than 6,000 adults aged 40 and over, who’s sleep apnea was assessed via at home polysomnography (PSG).  PSG records body activity during sleep, such as eye movement, heart rate, respiratory effort, air flow and blood oxygen levels.  The result: the risk of hypertension increased with the severity of the apnea in all participants, regardless of age, sex, race, or weight.  The risk was seen even at moderate levels of sleep apnea. 

A different sleep apnea study, conducted by Jana R. Cooke, MD, of the University of California at San Diego, examined patients with both Alzheimer disease and a sleep-related breathing disorder.  This study focused on 48 adults, average age 77.8 years, treating them for the sleep disorder with CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure, the most common treatment for sleep apnea.  Results: the patients slept more during the night and slept deeper.  Since waking episodes are a problem for Alzheimer’s patients, improving their sleep, improved their quality of life.

A third sleep apnea study, performed at the St. George Hospital, University of New South Wales in Koragah, Australia, focused on the effectiveness of oral devices to keep the airway open to relieve sleep apnea.  The sleep apnea study consisted of 4 weeks of treatment with the MAS, and a control device (an inactive oral appliance).  Sleep apnea tests were performed on each patient at the end of each treatment period.  Results showed that in 59 men and 14 women of an average age of 48 years, the MAS

therapy improved a range of symptoms associated with sleep apnea.  Daytime sleepiness was reduced, as was sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep once lights are out.) 

These three sleep apnea studies are but a small portion of research projects for sleep apnea.  NIH’s currently lists over 50 sleep apnea studies on their website as “in progress” or “searching for subjects. 

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