QNEXA [kyoo-nek-suh] is an investigational drug  candidate being developed to address weight loss, type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. QNEXA is a once-a-day, proprietary, oral, controlled-release  formulation of low-dose phentermine and topiramate, which is designed to  decrease appetite and increase satiety (the sense of feeling full), the two main  mechanisms that impact eating behavior. In phase 2 and 3 clinical data to date,  patients taking QNEXA have demonstrated statistically significant weight loss, glycemic control, and improvement in  cardiovascular risk factors, when used in combination with a diet and lifestyle  modification program.

VIVUS is a biopharmaceutical company developing therapies to address obesity,  sleep apnea, diabetes and male sexual health. The company’s lead product in  clinical development, QNEXA®, has completed phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of obesity and is currently being considered for approval by US and EU  regulators. QNEXA® is also in phase 2 clinical development for the  treatment of type 2 diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. In the area of sexual  health, VIVUS is in phase 3 development with avanafil, a PDE5 inhibitor being  studied for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. For more information about  the company, please visit www.vivus.com

A new study finds that a significant number of patients  with benign prostate enlargement (BPE) may have obstructive sleep apnea  (OSA), which may be the reason for their night awakenings and urination.  The study’s findings have been published in the Journal of the American  Board of Family Medicine.

The researchers, from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU),  Israel, compared men between the ages of 55 and 75 who were randomly  sampled from primary clinics, diagnosed with BPE, and reported nocturia (or waking during the night to void) at least once nightly. The  comparison group had no BPE and one or no nocturia episodes per night.  Nocturia is a common BPE symptom.

The researchers found that more than half (57.8%) of patients with  enlarged prostates may in fact have the sleep disorder, and that the  awakenings that patients ascribed to their need to urinate at night may  be actually caused by their sleep disorders. Read the rest of this entry

According to research presented at the School of Medicine and the University of Navarra Hospital by Dr. Roberto Muñoz, a physician of the Neurology Service of the Hospital Complex of Navarra, those persons with serious cases of sleep apnea have more than twice the possibility of suffering an ischemic stroke, specifically, 2.5 times more.

This was confirmed in an study undertaken for his doctoral dissertation among 394 subjects aged 70 or more.  “After studying the quality of their sleep, we tracked the volunteers over the course of six years.  After which, 20 of the  study subjects had suffered a stroke”, explained this native Pamplonan.  Furthermore, he confirmed that in addition to the fact that sleep apnea affects above all persons of middle and advanced age—it is estimated that 5% of all adults suffer from it—this prevalence may significantly increase with age.

In addition, the new Ph.D. in Medicine noted that sleep apnea “can appear in childhood, although with different causes and characteristics”.  Among the predisposing factors for suffering this disorder, the expert emphasized obesity: “Therefore, one of the measures for avoiding the problem is losing weight.  In fact, there are patients who have been able to make their sleep apnea disappear simply by reducing their weight”. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/OKLAHOMA CITY/ Graymark Healthcare, Inc. , the nation’s second largest provider of diagnostic sleep services and an innovator in comprehensive care for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), reported financial results for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010.

Net revenues in 2010 increased 30% to $22.8 million from $17.6 million in 2009 (as adjusted for the discontinued operations of the company’s retail pharmacy business). The annual increase is primarily attributable to realizing a full year of operating revenue amounting to $6.7 million from the Somni and Eastern acquisitions completed in August and September of 2009, respectively. Read the rest of this entry

The National Institutes of Health estimates one in 10 adults over 65 (a total of 18 million Americans) suffers from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which obstruction in the upper airway can lead to interrupted breathing and sleep.

In obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the tongue and other tissues of the throat obstruct the airway during sleep, blocking breathing for sometimes up to a minute. These events can occur multiple times throughout the night and severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been linked with increased risks for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and accidents resulting from daytime drowsiness.

This spring, two UC researchers are collaborating in an international, multi-center trial on an investigational device for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Read the rest of this entry

Victoria Wofford, 54, admitted stealing a stunning $17 million from American Express through fraudulent charges on  defunct business travel accounts.

And she  swiped another $8 million from a defense contractor by systematically over billing them for travel booked through her company.

“I’m not sure what I was thinking at the time, it may have had something to do with the undiagnosed sleep apnea that I apparently suffered from for many, many years,” Wofford told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus before he sent her to prison.

It was not clear if the self-described “workaholic” has since been diagnosed or is being treated for the disorder that causes a person to periodically stop breathing while they sleep and can leave them drowsy and confused during waking hours. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study conducted at the Columbia University has claimed that the overweight mothers and kids underestimate their actual weight. Inaccurate estimates about weight can lead to health problems both in mothers and kids.

About 82% of obese women involved in the study underestimated their actual weight.

Nearly one-third of the kids in United States are now overweight or obese which puts them at a risk of a number of diseases including type II diabetes, sleep apnea and heart disease. A healthy diet and lifestyle can help the people in reducing their weight. Performing various exercises, playing, and running could also be helpful for the kids.

Kids who munch on junk food or high- fat and high-sugar food are more likely to become overweight. Parents are advised to make sure than their kids eat plenty of real, fresh foods and vegetables so that they can maintain a healthy weight.

Experts suggest the parents not to buy sugary juices, pop, processed foods and fattening snacks for their kids. Healthy and conscious food choices will significantly improve the health of whole family.

“Snorers never get restful sleep,” says entrepreneur David Hernandez, “but neither do the people who love them. In fact, men are twice as likely to be snorers than women. That means it’s a constant ‘battle of the sexes’ every night – a nudge here, a poke there – but VitalSleep ends the war some wives get a good night’s rest.”

Hernandez went about creating the VitalSleep stop snoring device when his dentist prescribed a mouthpiece that allows more air to flow freely to stop snoring. The problem is the device came with a huge price tag of $3,000. He asked his doctor for a more economical solution, but there wasn’t one, so that’s when Hernandez went to work. Read the rest of this entry

SleepApneaDisorder/[ Press Release ]/ DALLAS, TX – /  Attorneys for The Snoring Center, the nationally renowned Dallas-based clinic for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, are noting that the Sereno Center for Snoring Solutions in San Francisco is no longer claiming to be the world’s largest provider of the Pillar Procedure or the first practice of its kind. Sereno also has altered its website and advertisements to remove claims of being the world’s first exclusive provider of clinical treatments for snoring, sleep apnea and related disorders.

The Snoring Center filed a federal lawsuit against Sereno in November 2010 based on allegations that the company’s owners fraudulently obtained The Snoring Center’s proprietary information and made false advertising statements to promote its clinical practice. Read the rest of this entry

Snoring is a common sign of sleep apnea, a disorder that increases the risk of high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease? Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder, affecting nearly 20 million Americans.

To address this problem, Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital is expanding services for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. Last month, the IU Health Ball Memorial Sleep Disorders Center moved to 6004 Kilgore Ave. This new facility offers convenient parking and entry, new equipment, an innovative diagnostic computer system, and twice as many beds (an increase from six to 12) for diagnostic testing.

After being referred by their physicians, patients are asked to spend a night in one of the Sleep Disorders Center’s 12 rooms designed for optimal sleep comfort. Read the rest of this entry

A new sleep medicine practice, Sleep HealthCare of Connecticut, is providing the latest treatments for insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders that can seriously harm overall health.

Sleep HealthCare of Connecticut was founded by three health professionals in the field — A. Joel Papowitz, M.D., Medical Director; Edward B. O’Malley, PhD, Managing Director; and Derek Guice, RPsgT Technical Director.

The practice offers techniques, including neurofeedback — to promote natural, drug-free sleep – in a comfortable, spa-like setting. It departs from the traditional approach to treating sleep disorders, recognizing that they are chronic — rather than acute — problems that require longer term management. Read the rest of this entry

There are two ways that they people are snoring due to the fact some snoring is maded by the throat and the additional by the nose. It’s useful to find out the method that you are snoring which is a thing that perhaps your partner could say. It’s beneficial to understand to enable you to properly handle the situation. There are plenty of remedies, cures that will help us stop snoring. A lot of them are working several aren’t and it depends upon each person and the way they respond.

Beside all these remedies addititionally there is surgery. At present you can make a little surgery that are said to cure the snoring permanently. the matter that I believe will make me in favor for the surgery is the fact the surgery will last for maximum one hour and next you can relax since besides you will not be snoring but you will not have to take into account all of the gadgets that you simply want to utilize, on which side about the bed you have to sleep and in that situation. Read the rest of this entry

The disaster in Japan has the world’s attention. Millions of people watch in horror as the people of Japan struggle to get through day by day. Japan suffered a 1-2-3 punch in the events of an earthquake, then a tsunami, and finally nuclear radiation worries. Many different teams of rescuers have been sent over to Japan to aid in the search and rescue efforts. These teams have been tasked with the responsibility to search for both survivors and bodies in various towns and villages along the east coast of Japan. What has become an almost requirement for these teams are tools that are both portable and easy to use. 

Hundreds of  Pulse Oximeters have been donated by many manufacturers and serving companies to Japan .for the emergency responders. The pulse oximeter, is a portable device used to measure the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of individuals. These pulse oximeters are not your old traditional tabletop units, but rather fingertip units which are smaller than your average mobile phone. A fingertip pulse oximeter operates on standard AA batteries, and provides its readings of blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate within seconds. Read the rest of this entry

Sleep deprivation can do more than just make you unproductive and slow during  the day – it may also lead you to eat more than you should, according to a feature on CNN.

The results of a study led by Marie-Pierre St. Onge,  Ph.D., a research associate at the New York Obesity Research Center in Columbia  University, indicated that people who did not get a good night’s sleep tend to  eat more the following day. This fact, according to the study, was especially  true in women, who consumed 329 more calories on average when they are sleep-deprived, as opposed to when they are well-rested.  Men, on the other hand, consumed 263 calories more.

The findings lend more credence to the association between lack of sleep and  being overweight. Most people who are overweight also suffer from sleep  problems, the most notable of which is sleep apnea, a breathing disorder that  cause people to be awakened frequently. It is not clear, however, whether these  people are overweight because of their sleep problems, or whether they have  sleep problems because they are overweight. Read the rest of this entry

Obesity is associated with obstructive sleep apnea in the adult and pediatric population. The aim of a recently concluded research study was to assess the association between increasing body mass index on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in children.

We reviewed retrospectively 740 children with symptoms suggestive of obstructive sleep apnea who underwent a sleep study at an inner
city university hospital. Obstructive sleep apnea was defined as respiratory disturbance index of 5 per hour or more. Statistical analysis included chi square test and regression analysis. Read the rest of this entry