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The SomnoDent Flex®, the mandibular advancement device (MAD) used in the study. Somno Med AU ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obstructive sleep apnea can cause or contribute to high blood pressure, so a new study examined which sleep apnea treatments – a CPAP machine or a mouthguard that keeps the airways open – was more effective at lowering blood pressure. Medications are the first-line treatment for high blood pressure, otherwise known as hypertension. However, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which can cause and/or exacerbate hypertension, is being recognized as an underdiagnosed and modifiable risk factor. The most common sleep-rated breathing disorder, OSA is caused by...

A study of people with obstructive sleep apnea suggests that high CPAP pressures may explain why the machines do not lower a patient's risk of heart disease, which is about two to three times higher than average. Several years ago, studies started to suggest a problem with this hypothesis. In studies designed to understand CPAP's effect on the body, they found that levels of a pro-inflammatory factor, angiopoietin-2, do not decline with CPAP use. High levels of Ang2 have been linked in previous studies to a higher risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, vascular disease, and mortality. …To Jelic, the...

A long-term study of patients who had upper airway surgery has confirmed the benefits for better management of moderate to severe sleep apnea for people who failed to adapt or are not suited to continuous positive pressure airway (CPAP) therapy, say experts. Follow-up checks with 36 of the first 48 patients who had Sleep Apnea Multi-Level Surgery (SAMS)—which involves repositioning the palate along with minimally invasive tongue volume reduction to increase upper airway flow—found consistently positive improvement in their sleep apnea symptoms up to three years later, according to research. "The benefits include less disrupted sleep and daytime drowsiness, less...

An Atlanta man says he was a foot from death. David Watkins describes waking up after a stray bullet almost hit him while he was asleep. His CPAP breathing machine was the only thing between the bullet and his head. "I have sleep apnea and that’s what saved my life," David Watkins said. That’s not a phrase often heard, but it could not be more true. Watkins provided photos which show where a stray bullet went through his room. "All of a sudden, my machine stopped working. I heard a loud noise. In my mind, I thought I rolled over...

President Joe Biden began using a CPAP machine "in recent weeks" to treat the sleep apnea he has suffered from since at least 2008, ABC News reported Wednesday. This new detail about Biden's health, revealed after observers noticed an unusual indentation on his face, suggests the octogenarian president has put himself at increased risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Biden has suffered from sleep apnea since at least 2008, when Politico reported that Biden "has suffered from atrial fibrillation, or an irregular heartbeat," which doctors said was probably "linked to Biden's reoccurring problem of sleep apnea." Dr. Joseph Krainin, M.D.,...

WASHINGTON — President Biden has been using a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea, a potentially serious condition in which breathing can stop during sleep, the White House confirmed Wednesday. Administration officials acknowledged Biden’s condition and use of the device to Bloomberg News after journalists began asking for comment on strap lines visible on the president’s face while he gaggled with reporters on the White House lawn in the morning. Biden, 80, is the oldest-ever US president and is seeking a second term in next year’s election, despite concerns about his physical and mental fitness for office.

A study suggests that cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins have the potential to reduce heart disease in people with obstructive sleep apnea, regardless of the use of CPAP machines during the night. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy improves sleep quality in people with obstructive sleep apnea. But CPAP does not improve heart health. Statins may be one such method, according to the study, by Sanja Jelic, MD. The researchers found that statins, but not CPAP, protected blood vessels against dangerous inflammatory changes that occur in people with the condition. The researchers looked specifically at the CD59 protein, which keeps inflammation...

Intubation of an infant with any lung condition, or even an adult with severe COVID-19 using either ventilation or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), comes with risks and side effects that could cause permanent damage not limited to the lungs. Consider this: The human intestine receives almost one-third of the body's cardiac output. What if we could spare oxygen in the gut and redistribute oxygen to other body districts to avoid intubation? Researchers have found that an extra amount of oxygen is available to organs critical for the survival of the individual, including the heart, brain, kidneys and liver, by reducing...

Effects of recall reverberate through sleep medicine communityMore than a year after the start of a recall now involving more than 5 million breathing devices, doctors and patients are still feeling the effects as manufacturer Philips continues to remediate machines and weathers scrutiny from federal agencies. The recall by subsidiary Philips Respironics has affected certain continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP) machines and mechanical ventilators mainly due to potential health risks from polyester-based polyurethane (PE-PUR) sound abatement foam that was used in the machines. Philips said at the time of the recall that the foam...

About 6 months ago, I was diagnosed with severe sleep apena and am now on a machine. This has turned my life around as I'm now able to sleep much better at night. Just wanted to get some pros, cons, and thoughts from those of you who are too on a CPAP machine.

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, we are woefully short of ventilators that can give the most gravely ill a chance for life. There are many efforts afoot to build more ventilators. Now, instead of building ventilators, a group of open-source developers has a new idea: Create a firmware update, Airbreak, which can transform common Constant Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines into non-invasive ventilators.  Their first effort -- a proof of concept -- converts the Airsense 10 CPAP machine, which is a common, inexpensive sleep apnea treatment device, into a ventilator. It does so by simply replacing its existing firmware with updated firmware. With this...

Researchers have found that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can improve depression symptoms in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Using data from the Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) trial led by Flinders University, the new study has found a significant decrease in cases of depression after patients received CPAP treatment for their sleep apnea. This is by far the largest trial of its type and one of very few studies reporting such an effect, says Professor Doug McEvoy from Flinders University.

Researchers have found that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) can improve depression symptoms in patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Using data from the Sleep Apnea Cardiovascular Endpoints (SAVE) trial led by Flinders University, the new study has found a significant decrease in cases of depression after patients received CPAP treatment for their sleep apnea. This is by far the largest trial of its type and one of very few studies reporting such an effect, says Professor Doug McEvoy from Flinders University. From detailed analysis of the SAVE data, Flinders University experts and collaborators at...

Millions of sleep apnea patients rely on CPAP breathing machines to get a good night’s rest. Health insurers use a variety of tactics, including surveillance, to make patients bear the costs. Experts say it’s part of the insurance industry playbook. Last March, Tony Schmidt discovered something unsettling about the machine that helps him breathe at night. Without his knowledge, it was spying on him. From his bedside, the device was tracking when he was using it and sending the information not just to his doctor, but to the maker of the machine, to the medical supply company that provided it...

A couple of months ago I had an incident with my heart The doctor recommended changes to my medicine along with getting a CPAP machine. My machine arrived today and I will begin journey of using the new machine. I am curious if anyone has any comments, good or bad about using a CPAP machine.

- The nighttime breathing difficulties of obstructive sleep apnea have long been linked to an increase in cardiovascular risks. However, a new study throws confusion into that link. While treatment with CPAP did lower sleep apnea symptoms, it did nothing to lower users' long-term odds for heart attack, stroke or heart-related death. ... McEvoy believes that, for one thing, prior observational studies may have "overestimated" the link between sleep apnea and cardiovascular outcomes. If the link is weaker than was thought, then curbing sleep apnea might not bring about as big a heart benefit as hoped, he reasoned. Another factor...

Can anyone recommend a good CPAP supplies website?

About 28 million Americans have sleep apnea, which causes repeated awakenings and pauses in breathing during the night, sometimes resulting in loud snoring and gasps for air. For decades, the standard treatment has been “continuous positive airway pressure.” A mask worn at night pushes air into the nasal passages, enabling easier breathing. C.P.A.P. reduces and in some cases completely prevents episodes of apnea. But the mask is like something from a bad science fiction movie: big, bulky and obtrusive. Many patients simply refuse to wear it or rip it off while asleep. Studies show that about half of all people...

I was just diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and waiting for a my prescription for my CPAP machine. I'm just wondering if there are any Freepers who've had experience with CPAP. Any hints? Tips? Websites? Will I ever be able to stop using it?

Oral surgery can reduce CPAP needs in patients with sleep apnea (Chicago, IL, October 24, 2007) — A procedure known as uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP) may help some patients improve or even eliminate their obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study. The research, presented at CHEST 2007, the 73rd annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), says the procedure, which removes excess tissue in the throat or mouth to widen the airway, can reduce the amount of treatment required by patients with OSA. In addition, researchers say UPPP also can eliminate OSA completely in some...