Study: CPAP Treatment Linked to Lower Mortality in Stroke Patients with OSA

An interesting article about Obstructive Sleep Apnea and strokes just came out. The article says that CPAP treatment reduces mortality risks for people with OSA who have had a stroke.

A researcher quoted in the article also points out that mortality rate increases for OSA patients who have had a stroke but who don't use a CPAP machine. Yet another reason to seek treatment for sleep apnea!

One of the challenges of the future is finding ways to ensure CPAP usage compliance amongst stroke patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It can be a complicated situation.

Read the article for the specifics of the study results. The article has a link to the original scientific research study results.

Demonstration of Oral Appliances for Sleep Apnea Treatment

The Medical News Network put out this almost 30-minute episode all about sleep apnea causes, symptoms and treatments. The interview is with Dr. Brock Rondeau who goes through sleep apnea causes, sleep apnea symptoms and some of the latest treatment options available including oral appliances.

What I found interesting was his demonstration of oral appliances that are alternatives to CPAP machines. Listen to what he has to say about oral appliances. An oral appliance may be a better option than a CPAP machine for some people. For children, Dr Rondeau explains that oral appliances are very effective and he shows before and after pictures.

Scary Stats About Sleep Apnea

An article written by Don Gronning entitled "Sleeping your way to health" (view article here) on the Daily Record's website (Ellensburg, Washington) quotes Dr. Geoffrey Greenberg, a sleep apnea specialist, as saying that studies show that of the people who have untreated obstructive sleep apnea, 40% die within 8 years.

My advice: Don't fear treatment.

Most people use a CPAP machine, which is simply Continuous Positive Airway Pressure delivered by a small device to a mask that goes over your nose or mouth and nose.

I have severe sleep apnea and use my CPAP every night, all night long. It's set on a very high pressure setting. It took some getting use to, yes, but it is not a medicine. I am currently unaware of side effects except nasal passage dryness, which is treated with over-the-counter saline nose spray.

You are not alone. A lot of people have sleep apnea.

Dr. Greenberg also points out that 4 to 5% of the American population has sleep apnea and it is more common than diabetes.

He reaffirms what I've heard before, that sleep apnea is not necessarily weight related. He states that 10% of sleep apnea sufferers are normal weight.

Another Alternative Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

An article on WSOC Charlotte discusses alternative treatments to obstructive sleep apnea for patients who are not good candidates for CPAP treatment. The treatment is called the "Advance System", a trademarked system by Aspire Medical, Inc. The treatment is still in clinical trials, but represents a potentially viable alternative sleep apnea treatment for a segment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

This alternative obstructive sleep apnea treatment involves having a tissue anchor insert alongside a tether and a bone anchor. WSOC outlines the steps involved with this treatment:

"First, the tissue anchor is inserted into the tongue and held in place with tiny barbs. Next, the bone anchor is screwed into the jaw, under the chin. Finally, a tether, or cord, is connected to the two implants, tied and tightened. Insertion of the Advance system is a minor surgical procedure that takes about 20 minutes. It can be done under general or local anesthesia. Patients come back two to three weeks after placement to have the tension of the tether adjusted." (Source: WSOC Charlotte)

Read the complete News Story here on WSOC's website.

Aspire Medical has pictures and a video here of their sleep apnea device that is still in clinical trials.

The Didgeridoo Sleep Apnea Treatment

I had heard of this alternative treatment before but was recently reminded when That's Fit mentioned a Men's Health article. The article by Men's Health is called "6 Crazy Cures" amongst which one is a potential cure for sleep apnea.

The treatment involves playing a didgeridoo.

According to the Men's Health article:

"Researchers reporting in the British Medical Journal evaluated 25 people with sleep apnea--a breath-stealing condition caused by flabby throat muscles--and found that those who took 4 months of didgeridoo (DIH-jeh-ree-doo) lessons had about 3 1/2 times less daytime sleepiness than the folks who didn't blow their own horns. The newly minted musicians also snored significantly less." (Men's Health)

"Sounds" like a potentially fun treatment.

The full results of the study are available here on the British Medical Journal website with further commentary by Scientific Daily here.

The study concludes that didgeridoo playing on a regular basis is an effective alternative treatment for those with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

I wonder if it would help severe sleep apnea sufferers. If playing the didgeridoo regularly could move severe sleep apnea into mild sleep apnea, that would be a really good thing.

Then again, have you ever heard the sound a didgeridoo makes? There's an example of a street performer playing a didgeridoo in Barcelona, Spain here.