Is the outcome of home sleep testing worse than the lab? No!

Chest. 2010 Feb 19. [Epub ahead of print]

Outcomes of home - based diagnosis and treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Skomro RP, Gjevre J, Reid J, McNab B, Ghosh S, Stiles M, Jokic R, Ward HA, Cotton D.

1 University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK., Canada.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Home diagnosis and therapy of OSA may improve access to testing and CPAP treatment. We compared subjective sleepiness, sleep quality, quality of life, blood pressure and CPAP adherence after four weeks of CPAP therapy in subjects diagnosed and treated at home and in those evaluated in the sleep laboratory.

Conclusions: Compared with the home-based protocol, diagnosis and treatment of OSA in the sleep laboratory does not lead to superior four-week outcomes in sleepiness scores, sleep quality, quality of life, blood pressure, and CPAP adherence.

PMID: 20173052 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20173052

Floppy Eyelids Increase the risk of Sleep Apnea

Floppy Eyelids and Sleep Apnea - Your optometrist can save your life...

When physicians see a patient with floppy eyelid syndrome, they should also screen for obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome, new research has shown.

In a small study, those with the condition -- characterized by rubbery upper eyelids -- had a 12.5-fold increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea, Daniel G. Ezra, MD, of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and colleagues reported in the April issue of Ophthalmology.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pulmonology/SleepDisorders/19372

Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Risk of Stroke - Adds 10 years

Sleep Apnea Tied to Increased Risk of Stroke

Even Mild Sleep Apnea Puts Men in Danger

"Our findings provide compelling evidence that obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for stroke, especially in men, " noted Redline. "Overall, the increased risk of stroke in men with sleep apnea is comparable to adding 10 years to a man’s age. Importantly, we found that increased stroke risk in men occurs even with relatively mild levels of sleep apnea. "

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/apr2010/nhlbi-08.htm

Gret news!

I am now in network with Kelsey Seybold and Humana!

JR