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AIM Whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) actually represents an independent risk factor for aortic dilation in the general population is unclear. We investigated this issue through a review and a meta-analysis of cardiac imaging studies that provided data on this vascular phenotype measured at the root or ascending tract level. DESIGN A computerized search was performed using Pub-Med, OVID, EMBASE, and Cochrane library databases from inception up to 30 November 2021. Studies were identified by using the following search terms: “aortic root,” “ascending aorta,” “vascular damage,” “echocardiography,” “computed tomography,” “magnetic resonance imaging,” “obstructive sleep apnea,” “sleep disordered breathing.” RESULTS Eleven studies including a total of 1,860 patients with OSA (without aortic aneurysms and connective tissue diseases) and 233 non-OSA controls were considered. Aortic diameter was significantly higher in patients with OSA than in non-OSA controls (standard means difference [SMD] = 0.73 ± 0.08, confidence interval [CI]: 0.57–0.88, P < 0.0001). This was also the case for patients with severe OSA as compared with their counterparts with mild OSA (SMD = 0.42 ± 0.07, CI: 0.28–0.56, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest an association between OSA and aortic enlargement and particularly in the severe OSA setting. However, this conclusion must be taken with caution in relation to 2 types of factors: (i) the paucity of available data, and (ii) the limits deriving from the methodological differences of the various studies. Larger prospective and carefully designed studies are needed to shed light on this relevant public health topic.

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is characterized with interruption of sleep with apnea attacks and is associated with various diseases such as metabolic syndrome. GDF-15 (Growth differentiation factor 15) is a cytokine belonging to the transforming growth factor - β superfamily and it has been found to be associated with chronic heart failure, acute pulmonary embolism, and acute attacks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It was aimed to evaluate the relationship between disease severity and mean GDF-15 in patients diagnosed with OSAS. Our study was carried out with 75 patients with OSAS. GDF-15 levels were checked by in the morning fasting blood test. Among the 75 patients, 27 constituted the mild, 22 constituted the moderate and 26 constituted the severe OSAS groups. The mean ages of the patients were not significantly different between groups (53.17 ±10, 54.61±10.2 and 53.5±11.6 respectively; p>0,05). GDF-15 levels were not significantly different between groups separately (p>0.05). There was only a weak positive relationship between GDF-15 and NREM and REM (p

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) most commonly receive positive airway pressure therapy (PAP) as primary treatment, which is highly effective when used consistently. Little is known about the preferences for and relevance of attributes of OSA treatments, especially of non-PAP alternatives. The aim of this study was to evaluate treatment preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) among patients with and without previous experience of OSA therapies.A discrete choice experiment and a structured survey were applied to patients presenting for overnight polysomnography at a tertiary sleep center. Medical variables were obtained from hospital case records.Over a period of 4 months, 241 subjects were enrolled and answered the questionnaire (61.8% with an existing diagnosis, 38.2% with a new diagnosis). The most preferred treatment among all patients was PAP therapy (51.1%), followed by mandibular advancement devices (18.1%), hypoglossal nerve stimulation (17.2%), and medication (13.7%). Approval for the different treatments varied by gender as well as by OSA therapy experience. The importance of attributes of OSA treatment varied too, with low rates of treatment-related side effects being equally important, independent of the preferred therapy. The most often stated monthly WTP for optimal sleep was € 50, with increasing age leading to lower WTP values.Preferences for OSA therapies vary among patients and patient subgroups. PAP therapy is the most preferred treatment, though non-PAP interventions receive high approval ratings too, particularly in treatment-naïve patients. The importance of treatment attributes varies as well, depending on the choice of preferred treatment.Patienten mit obstruktiver Schlafapnoe (OSA) werden standardmäßig mit PAP-Therapie („positive airway pressure“) versorgt, welche bei kontinuierlicher Anwendung die Krankheitslast effektiv reduziert. Bisher ist zu Patientenpräferenzen und Bedeutung einzelner Therapiemerkmale bei der Behandlung der OSA wenig bekannt, insbesondere hinsichtlich alternativer Nicht-PAP-Therapien. Studienziel war die Ermittlung von Therapiepräferenzen und der Zahlungsbereitschaft bei Patienten mit OSA mit und ohne Therapieerfahrung.Ein diskretes Entscheidungsexperiment sowie ein strukturierter Fragebogen wurden entwickelt und Patienten vorgelegt, die sich in einem Zentrum der Tertiärversorgung zur Polysomnographie vorstellten. Medizinische Daten wurden den elektronischen Patientenakten entnommen.Insgesamt wurden 241 Patienten in die Studie eingeschlossen (61,8 % mit und 38,2 % ohne Therapieerfahrung). Die häufigste präferierte Therapie war die PAP-Beatmung (51,1 %), gefolgt von der Behandlung mit der Unterkieferprotrusionsschiene (18,1 %), der Hypoglossusnervstimulation (17,2 %) sowie der medikamentösen Therapie (13,7 %). Die Zustimmung zu den einzelnen Behandlungsformen unterschied sich erheblich nach Geschlecht sowie Erfahrungen mit OSA-Therapie. Die Bedeutung einzelner Behandlungsmerkmale war ebenfalls unterschiedlich, dabei waren unabhängig von der bevorzugten Behandlung geringe Raten des Auftretens therapiebezogener Nebenwirkungen gleichermaßen wichtig. Die am häufigsten genannte Zahlungsbereitschaft für guten Schlaf lag bei € 50 pro Monat, mit niedrigeren Werten bei höherem Lebensalter.Die Präferenzen von Patienten und Patientenuntergruppen in Bezug auf verschiedene OSA-Therapien unterscheiden sich erheblich. PAP-Beatmung wird am häufigsten bevorzugt, jedoch gibt es auch hohe Zustimmungswerte für Nicht-PAP-Verfahren, insbesondere bei Patienten ohne Therapieerfahrung. Ebenso variiert die Bedeutung der einzelnen Behandlungsmerkmale in Abhängigkeit von der präferierten Primärtherapie.

Sleep disturbances are among the common nonmotor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Sleep can be disrupted by nocturnal motor and nonmotor symptoms and other comorbid sleep disorders. Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) causes sleep-related injury, has important clinical implications as a harbinger of PD and predicts a progressive clinical phenotype. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and its related symptoms can impair sleep initiation. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a refractory problem affecting patients’ daytime activities. In particular, during the COVID-19 era, special attention should be paid to monitoring sleep problems, as infection-prevention procedures for COVID-19 can affect patients’ motor symptoms, psychiatric symptoms and sleep. Therefore, screening for and managing sleep problems is important in clinical practice, and the maintenance of good sleep conditions may improve the quality of life of PD patients. This narrative review focused on the literature published in the past 10 years, providing a current update of various sleep disturbances in PD patients and their management, including RBD, RLS, EDS, sleep apnea and circadian abnormalities.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To analyze differences in mandibular cortical width (MCW) among children diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or at high- or low-risk for OSA. METHODS: A total of 161 children were assessed: 60 children with polysomnographically diagnosed OSA, 56 children presenting symptoms suggestive of high-risk for OSA, and 45 children at low risk for OSA. Children at high- and low-risk for OSA were evaluated through the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire. MCW was calculated using ImageJ software from panoramic radiograph images available from all participants. Differences between MCW measurements in the 3 groups were evaluated using analysis of covariance and Bonferroni post-hoc tests, with age as a covariate. The association between MCW and specific cephalometric variables was assessed through regression analysis. RESULTS: The participants’ mean age was 9.6 ± 3.1 years (59% male and 41% female). The mean body mass index z-score was 0.62 ± 1.3. The polysomnographically diagnosed OSA group presented smaller MCW than the group at low-risk for OSA (mean difference = –0.385 mm, P = .001), but no difference with the group at high-risk for OSA (polysomnographically diagnosed OSA vs high-risk OSA: P = .085). In addition, the MCW in the group at high-risk for the OSA was significantly smaller than the group at low-risk for the OSA (mean difference = –0.301 mm, P = .014). The cephalometric variables (Sella-Nasion-A point angle (SNA) and Frankfort - Mandibular Plane angle (FMA)) explained only 8% of the variance in MCW. CONCLUSIONS: Reductions in MCW appear to be present among children with OSA or those at high-risk for OSA, suggesting potential interactions between mandibular bone development and/or homeostasis and pediatric OSA. CITATION: Fernandes Fagundes NC, d’Apuzzo F, Perillo L, et al. Potential impact of pediatric obstructive sleep apnea on mandibular cortical width dimensions. J Clin Sleep Med. 2021;17(8):1627–1634

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a common but underdiagnosed health problem related to impaired quality of life and increased cardiovascular risk. In order to solve the problem of complicated and expensive operation procedures for clinical diagnosis of sleep apnea, here we propose a small and low-cost wearable apnea diagnostic system. The system uses a photoplethysmography (PPG) optical sensor to collect human pulse wave signals and blood oxygen saturation synchronously. Then multiscale entropy and random forest algorithms are used to process the PPG signal for analysis and diagnosis of sleep apnea. The SAS determination is based on the comprehensive diagnosis of the PPG signal and blood oxygen saturation signal, and the blood oxygen is used to exclude the error induced by non-pathological factors. The performance of the system is compared with the Compumedics Grael PSG (Polysomnography) sleep monitoring system. This simple diagnostic system provides a feasible technical solution for portable and low-cost screening and diagnosis of SAS patients with a high accuracy of over 85%.

Purpose：Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a prevalent sleep disorder in which apnea and hypopnea occur frequently during sleep and result in increase of the risk of lifestyle-related disease development as well as daytime sleepiness. Although SAS is a common sleep disorder, most patients remain undiagnosed because the gold standard test polysomnography (PSG), is high-cost and unavailable in many hospitals. Thus, an SAS screening system that can be used easily at home is needed., Methods：Apnea during sleep affects changes in the autonomic nervous function, which causes fluctuation of the heart rate. In this study, we propose a new SAS screening method that combines heart rate measurement and long short-term memory (LSTM) which is a type of recurrent neural network (RNN). We analyzed the data of intervals between adjacent R waves (R-R interval; RRI) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) records, and used an LSTM model whose inputs are the RRI data is trained to discriminate the respiratory condition during sleep., Results：The application of the proposed method to clinical data showed that it distinguished between patients with moderate-to-severe SAS with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100%, results which are superior to any other existing SAS screening methods., Conclusion：Since the RRI data can be easily measured by means of wearable heart rate sensors, our method may prove to be useful as an SAS screening system at home.

BACKGROUND Sedation is commonly performed for the endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of early gastric cancer. Severe hypoxemia occasionally occurs due to the respiratory depression during sedation. AIM To establish predictive models for respiratory depression during sedation for ESD. METHODS Thirty-five adult patients undergoing sedation using propofol and pentazocine for gastric ESDs participated in this prospective observational study. Preoperatively, a portable sleep monitor and STOP questionnaires, which are the established screening tools for sleep apnea syndrome, were utilized. Respiration during sedation was assessed by a standard polysomnography technique including the pulse oximeter, nasal pressure sensor, nasal thermistor sensor, and chest and abdominal respiratory motion sensors. The apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was obtained using a preoperative portable sleep monitor and polysomnography during ESD. A predictive model for the AHI during sedation was developed using either the preoperative AHI or STOP questionnaire score. RESULTS All ESDs were completed successfully and without complications. Seventeen patients (49%) had a preoperative AHI greater than 5/h. The intraoperative AHI was significantly greater than the preoperative AHI (12.8 ± 7.6 events/h vs 9.35 ± 11.0 events/h, P = 0.049). Among the potential predictive variables, age, body mass index, STOP questionnaire score, and preoperative AHI were significantly correlated with AHI during sedation. Multiple linear regression analysis determined either STOP questionnaire score or preoperative AHI as independent predictors for intraoperative AHI ≥ 30/h (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.707 and 0.833, respectively) and AHI between 15 and 30/h (AUC: 0.761 and 0.778, respectively). CONCLUSION The cost-effective STOP questionnaire shows performance for predicting abnormal breathing during sedation for ESD that was equivalent to that of preoperative portable sleep monitoring.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the result of prenatal effect of alcohol on the fetus and manifests as disorders of neural and mental development and various congenital developmental disorders leading to comorbid diseases. Among congenital developmental disorders for the pathology, adenotonsillar pathology was described. Narrowing of the nasopharyngeal opening, faciomaxillary dysmorphias and muscle hypotony can lead to sleep apnea syndrome. The article presents a clinical case of fetal alcohol syndrome and sleep apnea in a 7‑year-old girl with multiple developmental disorders born form alcohol-abusing mother. Breathing abnormalities during sleep must be differentiated per character and cause. Cardiorespiratory monitoring is used to diagnose respiratory abnormalities, the results determine patient management tactics. Interdisciplinary approach to observation and treatment of a child with fetal alcohol syndrome is necessary to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures and patient’s quality of life.

Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with excessive daytime sleepiness in about 50% of cases, and with increased risk of driving accidents. Treatment with continuous positive airway pressure effectively decreases such risk, but compliance with continuous positive airway pressure treatment is often suboptimal. According to the European Union Directive on driving risk, retention of a driving license in patients with obstructive sleep apnea requires assessment of sleepiness and adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment, but there remains uncertainty on the optimal methods to assess sleepiness on a large scale.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Scleroderma is associated with abnormal skin thickening, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and abnormalities of the upper airway. These changes can cause cardiopulmonary complications, potentially including sleep-disordered breathing. The objective of this study is to examine the risk of sleep-disordered breathing in patients with scleroderma. METHODS: We retrospectively identified patients with documented scleroderma. We abstracted data from their electronic health records, including findings from antibody tests, serial pulmonary function tests, transthoracic echocardiography, high-resolution computed tomography, and overnight forehead oximetry. RESULTS: We identified 171 patients with scleroderma. Mean age at the time of initial consult was 56.5 years (range, 18–96 years), and 150 (86.7%) were women. Scleroderma was categorized as limited disease for 108 (62.4%), diffuse disease for 59 (34.1%), and mixed connective tissue disease for 6 (3.5%). Fifty-four patients (31.2%) had abnormal overnight forehead oximetry results, defined as an oxygen desaturation index greater than 5 or a baseline mean arterial oxygen saturation level less than 90%. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiopulmonary complications are common in patients with scleroderma, one of which may be sleep-disordered breathing. In our cohort, approximately one-third of individuals with scleroderma had evidence of sleep-disordered breathing. Moreover, the rate of sleep-disordered breathing in our population of scleroderma patients was twice the rate of pulmonary hypertension and was approximately the same as the rate of interstitial lung disease. Future prospective studies are needed to further assess the role of sleep-disordered breathing in scleroderma clinical outcomes. CITATION: Nokes BT, Raza HA, Cartin-Ceba R, Lyng PJ, Krahn LE, Wesselius L, Jokerst CE, Umar SB, Griffing WL, Neville MR, Malhotra A, Parish JM. Individuals with scleroderma may have increased risk of sleep-disordered breathing. J Clin Sleep Med. 2019;15(11):1665–1669.

Background Cyclic variation of heart rate (CVHR) associated with sleep‐disordered breathing reflects cardiac autonomic responses to apneic/hypoxic stress. However, the association of CVHR with cardiac function is unclear. Methods We investigated a total of 181 patients who underwent both 24‐hour Holter electrocardiography (ECG) and quantitative gated single‐photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial functional imaging, excluding patients with atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, structural heart disease, and implantable devices, from January 2017 to July 2018. The number of CVHR per hour (CVHR index) in sleeping‐time Holter ECG was compared with the parameters of left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions assessed by cardiac SPECT functional imaging, peak filling rate (PFR), first‐third mean filling rate (1/3 MFR), and time to peak filling rate (TTPF). Results In all patients, the CVHR index was not associated with any parameters of cardiac functions. However, in a propensity score–matched subgroup of patients without ischemia (N = 39), the CVHR index was negatively correlated with PFR (r = −0.35, P

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of upper-airway collapse, resulting in intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep. Experimental studies with animals and cellular models have indicated that IH leads to attenuation of glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells and to enhancement of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and cells, such as the liver (hepatocytes), adipose tissue (adipocytes), and skeletal muscles (myocytes), both of which could lead to obesity. Although obesity is widely recognized as a major factor in SAS, it is controversial whether the development of SAS could contribute directly to obesity, and the effect of IH on the expression of appetite regulatory genes remains elusive. Appetite is regulated appropriately by both the hypothalamus and the gut as a gut–brain axis driven by differential neural and hormonal signals. In this review, we summarized the recent epidemiological findings on the relationship between SAS and feeding behavior and focused on the anorexigenic effects of IH on the gut–brain axis by the IH-induced up-regulation of proopiomelanocortin and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript in neuronal cells and the IH-induced up-regulation of peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide-1 and neurotensin in enteroendocrine cells and their molecular mechanisms.

Objective:Easily detecting patients with undiagnosed sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) requires a home-use SAS screening system. In this study, we validate a previously developed SAS screening methodology using a large clinical polysomnography (PSG) dataset (N = 938)., Methods:We combined R-R interval (RRI) and long short-term memory (LSTM), a type of recurrent neural networks, and created a model to discriminate respiratory conditions using the training dataset (N = 468). Its performance was validated using the validation dataset (N = 470)., Results:Our method screened patients with severe SAS (apnea hypopnea index; AHI ≥ 30) with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92, a sensitivity of 0.80, and a specificity of 0.84. In addition, the model screened patients with moderate/severe SAS (AHI ≥ 15) with an AUC of 0.89, a sensitivity of 0.75, and a specificity of 0.87., Conclusions:Our method achieved high screening performance when applied to a large clinical dataset., Significance:Our method can help realize an easy-to-use SAS screening system because RRI data can be easily measured with a wearable heart rate sensor. It has been validated on a large dataset including subjects with various backgrounds and is expected to perform well in real-world clinical practice.

Objective/Background Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare but well-recognized ciliopathy with high genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity. Cardinal features include obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure (HBP), which are often associated with sleep-disordered breathing. Also, the high prevalence of blindness due to retinal dystrophy could affect circadian sleep–wake rhythms. We characterized in this cohort of adult BBS patients sleep-disordered breathing, sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and chronotype. Patients and Methods Thirty-two patients with genetically confirmed BBS were included in this observational single center study. Overnight respiratory polygraphy was performed for sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) in 30 patients. Quality of sleep, daytime sleepiness, fatigue and chronotype were assessed in 25 patients using Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), 14-day sleep diary (SD), Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), Pichot fatigue scale (PFS) and Horne and Ostberg morningness-eveningness questionnaire (MEQ). Results Patients’ mean age was 32±11 years and mean BMI 32.6±7.7 kg/m2. Eleven (35%) patients had HBP and 7 (22%) diabetes. Moderate to severe sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) was present in 5 (17%) and was not associated with altered sleep, daytime sleepiness or fatigue. Most of the patients (63%) evaluated their sleep as of good quality (PSQI ≤ 5). Median scores of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness and fatigue were normal (PSQI of 3.0 [2.0–6.0], ESS of 9.0 [6.0–13.0] and PFS of 8.0 [3.0–13.0], respectively). Predominant chronotypes according to MEQ were either “intermediate” (57%) or “moderate morning” (29%). None had a free running sleep–wake cycle. 14-day SD revealed overall few awakenings at night and low daytime napping. Conclusions Given the cardiovascular risk factors, systematic screening for SAS should be considered in BBS patients, regardless of sleep and daytime vigilance complaints. None of these highly visually impaired patients had a circadian sleep–wake rhythm disorder. Further objective assessments are needed to better characterize sleep and circadian rhythms in BBS patients.

Introduction:Chronic hypoxia is known to be one of the risk factors for peripheral neuropathy. However, the effect of intermittent hypoxia on peripheral nerves is not fully understood. This study evaluated the relation between intermittent hypoxia and peripheral nerve function in Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) patients.Materials and Methods:In this retrospective study, 86 patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and electroneuromyography were enrolled. Participants with diseases affecting peripheral nerves and lung function were excluded from the study. Hypoxia parameters were obtained from the PSG study. Lower extremity motor and sensory nerve conduction studies of all patients were evaluated.Results:In patients with OSA, peroneal nerve distal motor latency and sural sensory nerve action potential amplitude was low and velocity was significantly slower than controls (p

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB), which causes sleep deprivation, intermittent hypoxia, and negative intrathoracic pressure swings, can be accompanied by other harmful pathophysiologies relating to cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including sudden death, atrial fibrillation, stroke, and coronary artery disease leading to heart failure. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy for SDB has been reported to provide favorable effects such as lowered systemic blood pressure and improved endothelial function. However, in recent randomized controlled trials, CPAP has failed to demonstrate its beneficial prognostic impact on the primary or secondary setting of CVD. In this review article, we describe the characteristics of SDB complicated with CVD, the prognostic impacts of SDB in CVD, and the beneficial effects of CPAP on CVD.

Aim: To construct neural models to predict the progression of glaucoma in patients with sleep apnea. Materials and Methods: Modeling the use of neural networks was performed using the Neurosolutions commercial simulator. The built databases gather information on a group of patients with primitive open-angle glaucoma and normal-tension glaucoma, who have been associated with sleep apnea syndrome and various stages of disease severity. The data within the database were divided as follows: 65 were used in the neural network training stage and 8 were kept for the validation stage. In total, 21 parameters were selected as input parameters for neural models including: age of patients, BMI (body mass index), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intraocular pressure, central corneal thickness, corneal biomechanical parameters (IOPcc, HC, CRF), AHI, desaturation index, nocturnal oxygen saturation, remaining AHI, type of apnea, and associated general conditions (diabetes, hypertension, obesity, COPD). The selected output parameters are: c/d ratio, modified visual field parameters (MD, PSD), ganglion cell layer thickness. Forward-propagation neural networks (multilayer perceptron) were constructed with a layer of hidden neurons. The constructed neural models generated the output values for these data. The obtained results were then compared with the experimental values. Results: The best results were obtained during the training stage with the ANN network (21:35:4). If we consider a 25% confidence interval, we find that very good results are obtained during the validation stage, except for the average GCL thickness, for which the errors are slightly higher. Conclusions: Excellent results were obtained during the validation stage, which support the results obtained in other studies in the literature that strengthen the connection between sleep apnea syndrome and glaucoma changes.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), characterized by recurrent episodes of oxygen desaturation and reoxygenation (intermittent hypoxia (IH)), is a risk factor for hypertension and insulin resistance. We report a correlation between IH and insulin resistance/diabetes. However, the reason why hypertension is induced by IH is elusive. Here, we investigated the effect of IH on the expression of catecholamine-metabolizing enzymes using an in vitro IH system. Human and mouse neuroblastoma cells (NB-1 and Neuro-2a) were exposed to IH or normoxia for 24 h. Real-time RT-PCR revealed that IH significantly increased the mRNA levels of dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) in both NB-1 and Neuro-2a. Western blot showed that the expression of DBH and PNMT in the NB-1 cells was significantly increased by IH. Reporter assays revealed that promoter activities of DBH and PNMT were not increased by IH. The miR-375 level of IH-treated cells was significantly decreased relative to that of normoxia-treated cells. The IH-induced up-regulation of DBH and PNMT was abolished by the introduction of the miR-375 mimic, but not by the control RNA. These results indicate that IH stress increases levels of DBH and PNMT via the inhibition of miR-375-mediated mRNA degradation, potentially playing a role in the emergence of hypertension in SAS patients.

Recent studies indicate that ambient temperature may modulate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity. However, study results are contradictory warranting more investigation in this field. We analysed 19,293 patients of the European Sleep Apnoea Database (ESADA) cohort with restriction to the three predominant climate zones according to the Koppen-Geiger climate classification: Cfb (warm temperature, fully humid, warm summer), Csa (warm temperature, summer dry, hot summer), and Dfb (snow, fully humid, warm summer). Average outside temperature values were obtained and several hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate the impact of temperature on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), time of oxygen saturation, Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal; European Union; ResMed Foundation; Philips Respironics Foundation; European Respiratory Society (ERS), RS received financial support by the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal. We would like to thank the members of the Pneumology Department of the University Hospital Lisbon, in particular to Andreia Colaco (RN), Claudia Pereira (RN), Dina Fernandes (RN), and Cristina Barbara (MD, Professor) for their support. The ESADA network was founded during the COST action B26 supported by the European Union and is one of the Clinical Research Collaborations (CRC) funded by the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Unrestricted seeding grants from the ResMed Foundation and the Philips Respironics Foundation for establishment of the database in 2007 and 2011 are gratefully acknowledged. Non--financial support was provided by the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS) in terms of logistics for communication, meetings, and data presentations for the ESADA collaborators.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients are at risk for increased blood pressure and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), with pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure potentially developing as well. Chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) has been used as an OSA model in animals, but its effects on vascular beds have not been evaluated using objective unbiased tools. Previously published and current experimental data in mice exposed to IH were evaluated for IMT in aorta and pulmonary artery (PA) after IH with or without normoxic recovery using software for meta-analysis, Review Manager 5. Because IMT data reports on PA were extremely scarce, atherosclerotic area percentage from lumen data was also evaluated. IH significantly increased IMT parameters in both aorta and PA as illustrated by Forest plots (P < 0.01), which also confirmed that IMT values after normoxic recovery were within the normal range in both vascular beds. One-sided scarce lower areas in Funnel Plots were seen for both aorta and PA indicating the likelihood of significant publication bias. Forest and Funnel plots, which provide unbiased assessments of published and current data, suggest that IH exposures may induce IMT thickening that may be reversed by normoxic recovery in both aorta and PA. In light of the potential likelihood of publication bias, future studies are needed to confirm or refute the findings. In conclusion, OSA may induce IMT thickening (e.g., aorta and/or PA), but the treatment (e.g., nasal continuous positive airway pressure) will likely lead to improvements in such findings.

Objective: The prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in Japan is 9% among males and 3% among females. Up to 2.5 million patients are estimated to suffer from the disease, but limited number of facilities are capable of carrying out polysomnography (PSG), leaving more than 80% of these individuals are undiagnosed. In recent years, the development of new portable sleep monitoring (PMs) devices has been remarkable. We evaluate the correlation between the results of the LS-140 PMs device (Fukuda Denshi Tech Co. Ltd.), released in 2017, and those of PSG. Methods: We obtained contemporaneous data from the same patients by equipping 58 patients with PMs (LS-140) devices while they underwent PSG. Our primary outcome was Case 2 of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), i.e., the ICC (2.1). And we used a Bland-Altman analysis to compare the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) given by PSG and the respiratory event index (REI) given by LS-140 and examined the sensitivity and specificity of the REI relative to the AHI in the diagnosis of OSA. We also carried out the same comparison but in terms of the presence or absence of periodic limb movements (PLMs). Results: The ICC (2.1) between The REI and the AHI was 0.944, a rather high value (p

INTRODUCTION[|]The aim of this prospective clinical study was to compare the incidence of difficult airway in patients undergoing septal deviation with the incidence of difficult airway in patients undergoing tympanoplasty and to determine the factors associated with the incidence of the difficult airway. Investigation of predisposing factors for difficult airway in patients undergoing septal deviation surgery was evaluated as a secondary outcome. [¤]METHODS[|]A total of 255 participants, 130 patients undergoing septoplasty (study group-Group S) and 125 patients undergoing tympanoplasty (control group-Group T) were included in this study. Preoperative airway evaluation was performed using the LEMON protocol. For all patients, the STOP-BANG questionnaire was performed to identify the risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS). Cormack-Lehane laryngeal view grades were noted during laryngoscopy. The definition of difficult intubation was identified according to the Cormack-Lehane scale (I–II=easy, III–IV=difficult). Additionally, the intubation method used, number of intubation attempts, use of stylet, cricoid pressure, and usage of airway were recorded.[¤]RESULTS[|]There were no unintubated patients in this study population. Cormack-Lehane score and incidence of difficult airway were significantly higher in the Group S than the Group T (p

Background Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is common in active acromegaly and negatively influences quality of life, morbidity, and mortality. This prospective study with 3 predetermined timepoints and a standardized treatment protocol investigates changes in sleep parameters during the first 2.5 years of acromegaly treatment. Methods Before initiation of acromegaly treatment (medical pretreatment followed by surgery), polysomnography (PSG) was performed in 27 consecutive patients with treatment-naive acromegaly. PSG was repeated after 1 year (N = 24) and 2.5 years (N = 23), and anthropometric and biochemical parameters were obtained. Results At baseline, 74.1% of the patients was diagnosed with OSAS. The respiratory disturbance index (RDI; P = 0.001), oxygen desaturation index (ODI; P = 0.001), lowest oxygen saturation (LSaO2; P = 0.007) and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS; P < 0.001) improved significantly during treatment, with the greatest improvement in the first year. After 2.5 years of treatment, all patients had controlled acromegaly. Of the 16 patients with repeated PSG and OSAS at baseline, 11 (68.8%) were cured of OSAS. Changes in RDI, ODI, LSaO2, and ESS correlated with insulin-like growth factor 1 levels. Conclusion OSAS has a high prevalence in active acromegaly. There is a substantial decrease in prevalence and severity of OSAS following acromegaly treatment, with the largest improvement during the first year. Most patients recover from OSAS following surgical or biochemical control of the acromegaly. Therefore, a PSG is advised after diagnosis of acromegaly. When OSAS is present, it should be treated and PSG should be repeated during acromegaly treatment.

Introduction:the STOPBANG score is an easy-to-use screening tool for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which has not been validated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We sought to evaluate its diagnostic performance in Cameroun. Methods:this community-based study took place in a sub-urban area, from November 2015 to April 2016. Adults aged ≥19 years underwent a clinical assessment, including the STOPBANG and the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) questionnaires. A respiratory polygraph (RP) was performed on a randomly selected sample. Diagnosis performance included sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), and positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV). An association was sought between STOPBANG and OSA features. Results:a total of 3033 were interviewed, of whom 102 had a RP. Their mean age was 49.1±17.9 years, the sex ratio was 1 and the mean body mass index 29.1±6.1 kg/m². For OSA screening (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5), the STOPBANG score at threshold 3 obtained: Se=82.9%, Sp=34.4%, PPV=45.9% and NPV=75.0%. For moderate-to-severe OSA (IAH ≥15), these values were 93.3%, 31.1%, 18.9% and 96.4% respectively. Furthermore, STOPBANG-based high risk of OSA correlated with AHI (9.1±10.7/hr vs 3.8±3.5/hr, p=0.0003) and oxygen desaturation index (6.4±7.9/hr vs 2.6±2.1/hr, p=0.0004). There was a non-significant association with ESS (6.3±5.3 vs 4.5±3.5, p=0.06) Conclusion:in this Cameroonian population, the STOPBANG diagnostic performance did not differ from the original Caucasian one. It could therefore be proposed on a larger scale, since obesity and other OSA risk factors are increasing in SSA.

The tone of the intraoral und pharyngeal muscles of the upper airway is of particular importance for the development of snoring. By increasing the tone with electrical stimulation, a reduction in snoring may be achieved. The aim of the study was to record the effects of intraoral muscle stimulation during the day on snoring at night. The prospective bi-centric study included 16 patients with snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnoea (Apnoea Hypopnoea Index [AHI] 15, BMI 32). After initial polygraphy, snoring was monitored over 2 weeks (baseline) using a visual analogue scale (VAS; 0-10). This was followed by a 6-week treatment phase (2 × 20 min daily) with an intraoral electrical stimulation device. During and up to 2 weeks after therapy, snoring intensity in addition to use and potential side effects were documented on a daily basis. Three patients discontinued therapy because of technical problems. The 13 remaining patients (11 male/2 female, BMI 26.9 ± 3.2, AHI 9.3 ± 4.6) underwent per-protocol analysis. The mean snoring score was reduced from 5.6 ± 1.1 (baseline) to 3.2 ± 2.7 (after therapy) and remained stable until 2 weeks after treatment (3.3 ± 2.4). In 7 patients (53.9%) the score was reduced by more than 50%. Patients with an AHI 10 responded better to therapy. No unexpected events occurred. In the present pilot study, the first signs of the effectiveness of intraoral muscle stimulation in snoring patients were shown. In addition to a technical improvement of the stimulator, carrying out controlled trials and assessing potential influencing factors on the success of therapy are necessary.Der Tonus der intraoralen und pharyngealen Muskulatur des oberen Atemweges ist für die Entstehung des Schnarchens von besonderer Bedeutung. Durch eine Tonuserhöhung über eine elektrische Stimulation könnte eine Reduktion des Schnarchens erreicht werden. Ziel der Studie war, die Effekte einer intraoralen Muskelstimulation am Tag auf das Schnarchen in der Nacht zu erfassen.In die prospektive bizentrische Studie wurden 16 Patienten mit Schnarchen und leichtgradiger Schlafapnoe (Apnoe-Hypopnoe-Index [AHI] 15, Body Mass Index [BMI] 32) eingeschlossen. Nach initialer Polygraphie wurde das Schnarchen über zwei Wochen (Baseline) mittels visueller Analogskala (VAS; 0–10) erfasst. Hieran schloss sich eine sechswöchige Therapiephase (täglich 2 × 20 min) mit einem intraoralen elektrischen Stimulationsgerät an. Während und bis zwei Wochen nach der Therapie erfolgte eine tägliche Dokumentation der Schnarchintensität sowie der Nutzung und möglicher Nebenwirkungen.Drei Patienten brachen die Therapie aufgrund technischer Probleme mit dem Gerät ab. Bei den 13 verbliebenen Patienten (11m/2w, BMI 26,9 ± 3,2, AHI 9,3 ± 4,6) erfolgte eine „per-protocol“ Analyse. Der gemittelte Schnarchscore wurde von 5,6 ± 1,1 (Baseline) auf 3,2 ± 2,7 (nach Therapie) reduziert und erwies sich bis zwei Wochen nach Therapie als stabil (3,3 ± 2,4). Bei sieben Patienten (53,9 %) zeigte sich eine Reduktion des Scores um über 50 %. Patienten mit einem AHI unter 10 sprachen besser auf die Therapie an. Unerwünschte Wirkungen traten nicht auf.In der vorliegenden Pilotstudie ergaben sich erste Hinweise auf die Wirksamkeit einer intraoralen Muskelstimulation bei Patienten mit Schnarchen. Notwendig sind neben einer technischen Verbesserung des Stimulators die Durchführung kontrollierter Studien sowie die Untersuchung möglicher Einflussfaktoren auf den Therapieerfolg.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by the frequent presence of neuro-cognitive impairment. Recent studies associate cognitive dysfunction with altered resting-state brain connectivity between key nodes of the executive and default-mode networks, two anti-correlated functional networks whose strength of activation increases or decreases with cognitive activity, respectively. To date no study has investigated a relationship between cognitive impairment in OSA and brain connectivity during an active working-memory challenge. We thus investigated the effect of OSA on working-memory performance and underlying brain connectivity. OSA patients and matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning while performing a 2-back working-memory task. Standard fMRI analyses highlighted the brain regions activated at increasing levels of working-memory load, which were used as seeds in connectivity analyses. The latter were based on a multiregional Psycho-Physiological-Interaction (PPI) approach, to unveil group differences in effective connectivity underlying working-memory performance. Compared with controls, in OSA patients normal working-memory performance reflected in: a) reduced interhemispheric effective connectivity between the frontal “executive” nodes of the working-memory network, and b) increased right-hemispheric connectivity among regions mediating the “salience-based” switch from the default resting-state mode to the effortful cognitive activity associated with the executive network. The strength of such connections was correlated, at increasing task-demands, with executive (Stroop test) and memory (Digit Span test) performance in neuro-cognitive evaluations. The analysis of effective connectivity changes during a working-memory challenge provides a complementary window, compared with resting-state studies, on the mechanisms supporting preserved performance despite functional and structural brain modifications in OSA., Highlights • Sleep apnea (OSA) is frequently characterized by neuro-cognitive impairment. • We addressed brain connectivity underlying working-memory (WM) in OSA. • Normal WM reflected in reduced interhemispheric connectivity in the executive network. • Normal WM reflected in increased connectivity between salience and default networks. • Brain connectivity highlights compensatory mechanisms supporting performance in OSA.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a prevalent disorder characterized by recurrent apnea or hypoxia episodes leading to intermittent hypoxia (IH) and arousals during sleep. Currently, the relationship between SAS and metabolic diseases is being actively analyzed, and SAS is considered to be an independent risk factor for the development and progression of insulin resistance/type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Accumulating evidence suggests that the short cycles of decreased oxygen saturation and rapid reoxygenation, a typical feature of SAS, contribute to the development of glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. In addition to IH, several pathological conditions may also contribute to insulin resistance, including sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity, oxidative stress, vascular endothelial dysfunction, and the activation of inflammatory cytokines. However, the detailed mechanism by which IH induces insulin resistance in SAS patients has not been fully revealed. We have previously reported that IH stress may exacerbate insulin resistance/T2DM, especially in hepatocytes, adipocytes, and skeletal muscle cells, by causing abnormal cytokine expression/secretion from each cell. Adipose tissues, skeletal muscle, and the liver are the main endocrine organs producing hepatokines, adipokines, and myokines, respectively. In this review, we focus on the effect of IH on hepatokine, adipokine, and myokine expression.

International audience; Selenoprotein-related myopathy (SEPN1-RM) is a rare disease with a variable clinical presentation. The selenoprotein N1 gene (SEPN1) mutation causing this congenital muscular dystrophy was identified in 2001. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may occur in young SEPN1-RM patients who are still able to walk. We report here the cases of two children with SEPN1-RM who presented with SDB at the ages of 7 and 12 years and for whom long-term nocturnal noninvasive ventilation yielded significant improvement. Based upon literature review and our current cases, it seems that there is no obvious relationship between time since SDB onset and outcome of pulmonary function tests or limb muscle weakness. We therefore suggest that sleep-disordered breathing should systematically be screened for in patients with SEPN1-RM, at regular intervals using nocturnal polysomnography.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often occurs in patients with active acromegaly and improves after treatment. Less is known about the development of OSA in patients after a longer period of control treated with somatostatin analogues (SSA) and pegvisomant. Methods: Seventy-nine patients (12 females, 17 males; age 49 ± 14 years; body mass index 29.9 ± 5.4 kg/m 2 ; IGF-1 184 ± 73 µg/L; disease duration 13 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation)) with well-controlled acromegaly treated with SSA (38%), pegvisomant (38%) or in combination (24%) who underwent ambulatory polygraphy were included in a prospective multicenter cross-sectional study. Results: Fourteen percent had OSA (range of apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) 5 - 15). Patients with OSA (AHI ? 5 vs. < 5) had a longer disease duration (16 ± 1 vs. 12 ± 8 years; P = 0.01) and were older (61 ± 9 vs. 47 ± 13 years; P = 0.037). The AHI of all patients correlated with age (P = 0.01; r = 0.44). No differences were seen in terms of BMI and Epworth sleepiness scale score. Previous transsphenoidal surgery and radiation had no impact of the detection of OSA. The duration of well-controlled acromegaly was 7 ± 3 years. Conclusion: OSA in patients with well-controlled acromegaly treated with SSA, pegvisomant or in combination is less frequent (14%) than previously described. Early treatment to reduce the active disease period should be aimed to prevent OSA. J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;7(5):141-145 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jem455w

Background: Hypothyroidism has been associated with increased pulmonary morbidity and overall mortality. A systematic review was conducted to identify the prevalence and underlying mechanisms of respiratory problems among patients with thyroid insufficiency. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant literature from January 1950 through January 2015 with the following study eligibility criteria: English-language publications; adult subclinical or overt hypothyroid patients; intervention, observational, or retrospective studies; and respiratory manifestations. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement was followed, and Cochrane's risk of bias tool was used. Results: A total of 1699 papers were screened by two independent authors for relevant titles. Of 109 relevant abstracts, 28 papers underwent full-Text analyses, of which 22 were included in the review. Possible mechanisms explaining respiratory problems at multiple physiological levels were identified, such as the ventilator control system, diaphragmatic muscle function, pulmonary gas exchange, goiter caused upper airway obstruction, decreased capacity for energy transduction, and reduced glycolytic activity. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was found among 30% of newly diagnosed patients with overt hypothyroidism, and demonstrated reversibility following treatment. The evidence for or against a direct effect on pulmonary function was ambiguous. However, each of the above-mentioned areas was only dealt with in a limited number of studies. Therefore, it is not possible to draw any strong conclusions on any of these themes. Moreover, most studies were hampered by considerable risk of bias due for example to small numbers of patients, lack of control groups, randomization and blinding, and differences in body mass index, sex, and age between subjects and controls. Conclusion: Mechanistic data linking hypothyroidism and respiratory function are at best limited. This area of research is therefore open for retesting hypotheses, using appropriate study designs and methods.

Context: Accurate discrimination between obstructive and central hypopneas requires quantitative assessments of respiratory effort by esophageal pressure (OeP) measurements, which preclude widespread implementation in sleep medicine practice. Mandibular Movement (MM) signals are closely associated with diaphragmatic effort during sleep.Objective: We aimed at reliably detecting obstructive off central hypopneas events using MM statistical characteristics.Methods: A bio-signal learning approach was implemented whereby raw MM fragments corresponding to normal breathing (NPB; n = 501), central (n = 263), and obstructive hypopneas (n = 1861) were collected from 28 consecutive patients (mean age = 54 years, mean AHI = 34.7 n/h) undergoing in-lab polysomnography (PSG) coupled with a MM magnetometer, and OeP recordings. Twenty three input features were extracted from raw data fragments to explore distinctive changes in MM signals. A Random Forest model was built upon those input features to classify the central and obstructive hypopnea events. External validation and interpretive analysis were performed to evaluate the model's performance and the contribution of each feature to the model's output.Results: Obstructive hypopneas were characterized by a longer duration (21.9 vs. 17.8 s, p < 10−6), more extreme low values (p < 10−6), a more negative trend reflecting mouth opening amplitude, wider variation, and the asymmetrical distribution of MM amplitude. External validation showed a reliable performance of the MM features-based classification rule (Kappa coefficient = 0.879 and a balanced accuracy of 0.872). The interpretive analysis revealed that event duration, lower percentiles, central tendency, and the trend of MM amplitude were the most important determinants of events.Conclusions: MM signals can be used as surrogate markers of OeP to differentiate obstructive from central hypopneas during sleep.

International audience; Individuals with Down syndrome present many clinical characteristics, such as metabolic, endocrine, anatomic and neurologic dysfunctions, that contribute to the physiopathology of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). As a result, sleep apnea prevalence is significantly greater in population with Down syndrome, and may have critical consequences on health and quality of life, such as cardiovascular risks and obesity. This paper compiles a list of specific risk factors of OSAS present in Down syndrome to explain the high prevalence of this sleep disorder. Endocrine, metabolic, and morphologic aspects are discussed, as well as cardiac, autonomic, genetic and lifestyle factors. Thus, the purpose of this review is to present risk factors, consequences and management of OSAS in the population with Down syndrome.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a very common disease involving intermittent hypoxia (IH), recurrent symptoms of deoxygenation during sleep, strong daytime sleepiness, and significant loss of quality of life. A number of epidemiological researches have shown that SAS is an important risk factor for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), which is associated with SAS regardless of age, gender, or body habitus. IH, hallmark of SAS, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of SAS and experimental studies with animal and cellular models indicate that IH leads to attenuation of glucose-induced insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells and to enhancement of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and cells, such as liver (hepatocytes), adipose tissue (adipocytes), and skeletal muscles (myocytes). In this review, we focus on IH-induced dysfunction in glucose metabolism and its underlying molecular mechanisms in several cells and tissues related to glucose homeostasis.

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disease, and there is an increased demand for OSA diagnosis and treatment. However, resources are limited compared with the growing needs for OSA diagnosis and management, and alternative strategies need to be developed to optimise the OSA clinical pathway. In this review, we propose a management strategy for OSA, and in general for sleep-disordered breathing, to be implemented from diagnosis to follow-up. For this purpose, the best current options seem to be: 1) networking at different levels of care, from primary physicians to specialised sleep laboratories; and 2) use of telemedicine. Telemedicine can contribute to the improved cost-effectiveness of OSA management during both the diagnostic and therapeutic phases. However, although the technology is already in place and different commercial platforms are in use, it is still unclear how to use telemedicine effectively in the sleep field. Application of telemedicine for titration of positive airway pressure treatment, follow-up to improve compliance to treatment through early identification and solution of problems, and teleconsultation all appear to be promising areas for improved OSA management.

Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS), characterized by recurrent episodes of oxygen desaturation and reoxygenation (intermittent hypoxia [IH]), is a risk factor for insulin resistance. Recently, IH is considered to independently cause adipose tissue inflammation/dysfunction, leading to worsening insulin resistance; however, the detailed mechanism remains unknown. We exposed mouse 3T3-L1 and human SW872 adipocytes to experimental IH or normoxia for 24 h, and analyzed mRNA expression of several adipokines. We found that the mRNA levels of RETN, TNFα, and CCL2 in SW872 and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were significantly increased by IH, whereas the promoter activities of these genes were not increased. A target mRNA search of microRNA (miR)s revealed that all human mRNAs have a potential target sequence for miR-452. The miR-452 level of IH-treated cells was significantly decreased compared to normoxia-treated cells. MiR-452 mimic and non-specific control RNA (miR-452 mimic NC) were introduced into SW872 cells, and the IH-induced up-regulation of the genes was abolished by introduction of the miR-452 mimic but not by the miR-452 mimic NC. These results indicate that IH stress down-regulates the miR-452 in adipocytes, resulting in increased levels of RETN, TNFα, and CCL2 mRNAs, leading to insulin resistance in SAS patients.

International audience; OBJECTIVE: Imprinting disorders (ID), such as Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), are associated with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). No data are available for Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS), another ID that shares clinical features with PWS, although many patients describe excessive daytime sleepiness, disturbed sleep, and snoring. The aim of this study was to characterize sleep in children with SRS and to evaluate the impact of recombinant growth hormone (rGH) therapy.METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of sleep recordings in 40 patients with molecularly proven SRS (methylation anomaly in 11p15 [n = 32] or maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 [n = 16]). Sleep recordings were either by means of polygraphy or polysomnography (PSG) (n = 16). A total of 34 patients received rGH therapy.RESULTS: We collected 61 sleep recordings. The mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 3.4 events/h (0-12.4), with a mean central AHI of 0.5 events/h (0-2.4). SDB was identified in 73.8% (n = 45) of the recordings and was severe in 4.9%. SDB was present in 86.4% of patients before rGH therapy and was severe in 13.6%. AHI worsened for 5 of 12 patients with sleep recordings before and after rGH therapy initiation, reaching mild impairment. The mean rGH dose was 32.3 μg/kg/(12.9-51.4), with a mean insulin-like growth factor 1 plasma level of 1.7 SDS (-1.9 to 6.6).CONCLUSION: Most patients with SRS present with SDB with an obstructive profile, possibly explained by narrowing of the airways and lymphoid organ hypertrophy. We recommend systematic ear-nose-throat evaluation of SRS patients and PSG if there are clinical anomalies, preferably before initiating rGH therapy, to monitor and adapt the management of patients with SDB.

Background Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a sleep disturbance, which is frequently comorbid in dialysis patients. SAS induces hypoxia, and therefore, systemic and cerebral oxygenation would be low. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has recently been used to measure regional saturation of oxygen (rSO2), as a marker of tissue oxygenation. Although cerebral rSO2 was measured in patients in various clinical settings, few reports have previously shown the associations of changes in cerebral rSO2 and systemic oxygenation using measurement of peripheral arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) with SAS. We herein report a first HD case with SAS-induced reduction in cerebral oxygenation during sleep. Case presentation A 74-year-old woman underwent HD therapy for 1 month, because of advanced CKD caused by hypertension and obesity. In addition, she was diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea with polysomnography about 4 years prior. Her apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 77.5 per hour, and therefore, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was started. Thereafter, her AHI was improved to 3 to 6 per hour. However, she discontinued CPAP therapy at HD initiation. Since her oxygenation without CPAP would deteriorate, we evaluated her SpO2 and cerebral rSO2 by NIRS monitoring during sleep. We confirmed the deterioration in cerebral rSO2 according to the SpO2 decrease, and furthermore, the improvement in cerebral rSO2 was apparently delayed even after the improvement in her SpO2. The patient’s cerebral oxygenation under CPAP therapy could not be evaluated because she refused to receive CPAP therapy after HD initiation. Therefore, as a comparison, we evaluated a 69-year-old male HD patient without SAS and found that in contrast to a patient with SAS, his SpO2 and cerebral rSO2 were maintained throughout sleep. Conclusion We observed deterioration in cerebral oxygenation during sleep in addition to a decrease in systemic oxygenation in a patient with SAS undergoing HD. Real-time cerebral NIRS monitoring during sleep might be a useful method for detection of SAS.

Introduction The occurrence of chronic obstructive airway disease and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a popular syndrome called overlap syndrome. Aim To evaluate the prevalence of OSA in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and methods A total of 86 patients with COPD (54.65% men, with a mean age of 62.065 years) were included in our study. Clinical criteria and biochemical tests were registered, and polysomnography was done. Results Overall, 38 patients with an apnea–hypopnea index more than 5 events/h were defined as having overlap syndrome (44.19%). Conclusion The results showed an OSA prevalence of 44.19% in patients with COPD. A sleep study should be considered in overweight patients with COPD, even in patients without symptoms of sleep apnea.

Awareness of the importance of sleep-related disorders in patients with cardiovascular diseases is growing. In particular, sleep-disordered breathing, short sleep time, and low sleep quality are frequently reported by patients with heart failure (HF). Sleep-disordered breathing, which includes obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and central sleep apnoea (CSA), is common in patients with HF and has been suggested to increase the morbidity and mortality in these patients. Both OSA and CSA are associated with increased sympathetic activation, vagal withdrawal, altered haemodynamic loading conditions, and hypoxaemia. Moreover, OSA is strongly associated with arterial hypertension, the most common risk factor for cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Intrathoracic pressure changes are also associated with OSA, contributing to haemodynamic alterations and potentially affecting overexpression of genes involved in ventricular remodelling. HF treatment can decrease the severity of both OSA and CSA. Indeed, furosemide and spironolactone administration, exercise training, cardiac resynchronization therapy, and eventually heart transplantation have shown a positive effect on OSA and CSA in patients with HF. At present, whether CSA should be treated and, if so, which is the optimal therapy is still debated. By contrast, more evidence is available on the beneficial effects of OSA treatment in patients with HF.

Uncontrolled studies looking at the discontinuation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment after bariatric surgery (BS) have suggested that surgery improves OSA. However, this discontinuation of OSA treatment by BS patients has never been compared to a matched population without BS. The objectives of this study are to evaluate whether BS increases OSA treatment discontinuation compared to that in matched patients without BS and to identify predictive factors of OSA treatment discontinuation in BS patients. The study took place in an ambulatory, tertiary hospital. We included 61 OSA patients who underwent BS in a retrospective controlled cohort study. The computerized matching procedure included age, sex, body mass index, year of starting OSA treatment, treatment type, and duration selected 59 controls matched to 28 patients with BS. The main outcome was OSA treatment discontinuation within 2 years after BS. Patients with BS stopped OSA treatment more often than controls, usually between 6 months and 1 year after BS: hazards ratio (HR (95 %, CI)) 15.93 (3.29, 77.00). Before 6 months or beyond 1 year after BS, treatment discontinuation was not different between BS patients and controls. In univariate analyses, female gender, absence of co-morbidities, greater weight loss, and lower baseline OSA severity were associated with stopping OSA treatment after BS. No factor remained independently associated in multivariate analysis. Apneic patients having BS stop OSA treatment more than matched controls. Treatment discontinuation may be attributed to recovery or to abandonment. The effect of BS on OSA may have been overestimated in uncontrolled BS studies that ignored basal OSA treatment discontinuation in routine clinical practice.

Key Clinical Message Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS) is a chronic condition associated with cardiovascular disease. In some pacemakers, an advanced algorithm using transthoracic impedance may be used to identify SAS. This algorithm may be also a useful tool for a long‐term monitoring helping physicians to optimize therapy, reducing risk factors, and improving therapeutic compliance.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is highly prevalent with a male to female predominance of two to one, and is more common in middle-aged and elderly subjects [1]. Affected patients often present with comorbidities such as obesity, cardiovascular disease (systemic hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation), and diabetes mellitus Type II [2]. The strong overlap between the profile for SDB patients and the identified risk factors for adverse outcomes of COVID-19 infection that include age, male gender, and cardio-metabolic comorbidity [3] suggest that SDB patients may benefit from effective therapy if confronted with COVID-19 infection [4].

Background and purpose Sleep‐disordered breathing is common in individuals with heart failure and may contribute to changes in the brain and decreased cognition. However, limited research has explored how the apnea‐hypopnea index contributes to brain structure and cognition in this population. The aims of this study were to explore how the apnea‐hypopnea index is associated with brain volume and cognition in heart failure patients. Methods Data of 28 heart failure patients (mean age = 67.93; SD = 5.78) were analyzed for this cross‐sectional observational study. We evaluated the apnea‐hypopnea index using a portable multichannel sleep‐monitoring device. All participants were scanned using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests. Brain volume was evaluated using a voxel‐based morphometry method with T1‐weighted images. We used multiple regressions to analyze how the apnea‐hypopnea index is associated with brain volume and cognition. Results We found an inverse association between apnea‐hypopnea index scores and white matter volume (β = −0.002, p = 0.026), but not in gray matter volume (β = −0.001, p = 0.237). Higher apnea‐hypopnea index was associated with reduced regional gray and white matter volume (p 0.05). Conclusion Findings from this study provide exploratory evidence that higher apnea‐hypopnea index may be associated with greater brain volume reduction in heart failure patients. Future studies are needed to establish the relationship between sleep‐disordered breathing, brain volume, and cognition in heart failure samples.

Pathogenesis and long-term outcome of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) in acromegalic patients are still under debate. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and long-term follow-up of a series of acromegalic patients with OSAS and to investigate site, degree, and possible causes of upper airway obstruction by morphological study. Cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted in 58 acromegalic patients (33 active, 25 controlled) with polysomnography in all subjects, repeated in 25 patients with OSAS, and echocardiography. Morphological study including fiberoptic nasopharyngoscopy with the Muller maneuver (FNMM), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), with 3-dimensional (3D) elaboration was also performed. The prevalence of OSAS was 58.6 % in the whole series: 63.6 % in the active group and 52 % in the controlled one. Left ventricular hypertrophy was more prevalent in patients with OSAS. OSAS improved in 62.5 % of active patients after achieving hormonal control, whereas it persisted or got worse in 66.6 % of the controlled ones. The uvula and tongue base were the main site of obstruction assessed by FNMM. Uvula diameters obtained by MRI study correlated with the severity of upper airway collapse assessed by FNMM and tongue measure with apnea–hypopnea index (p = 0.044). A greater narrowing and a smaller total volume of upper airways were confirmed by 3D-MRI in patients with more severe OSAS. Uvula and tongue hypertrophy plays a relevant role in the pathogenesis and severity of OSAS. Intensive treatment of acromegaly needs to be promptly adopted in order to reverse it.

It has been observed that atrial overdrive pacing abolishes sleep apnea syndrome, but how it does so has not been explained. There is a possibility that it sends a retrograde inhibitory impulse to the vagal center in the brainstem, which in turn reduces the vagal tone, and thus prevents sleep apnea. Therefore, medical vagolytics such as atropine type of drugs should have the same effect. This is a case report of such an attempt.

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., Objective: Patients with cardiac pacemakers present a high prevalence of undiagnosed sleep apnea syndrome (SAS). New-generation pacemakers have algorithms that identify sleep respiratory events. Our aim was to evaluate their accuracy in the diagnosis of SAS. Methods: We performed a prospective study that included patients with new-generation pacemakers (Reply 200 pacemakers). All patients underwent a polysomnography (PSG). On the same night, the respiratory disturbance index of the PSG (RDI-PSG) and of the pacemaker (RDI-PM) were recorded. The agreement between methods was assessed using the kappa coefficient, Bland and Altman statistics and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Sixty patients were recruited but the RDI-PM for the PSG night was not available in six patients. PSG diagnosed SAS in 74% of patients (20% severe, 19% moderate, 35% mild). Besides snoring (63%), most patients had no SAS symptoms. There was a strong positive correlation between RDI-PSG and RDI-PM (r ¼ 0.522, p < 0.001), but the level of agreement between methods regarding SA diagnosis/severity was poor (k ¼ 0.167). ROC curves identified a RDI-PM of 10 events/h as the optimal cut-off point for diagnosing SAS (area under the curve (AUC): 0.81, sensitivity: 80%, specificity: 79%, positive predictive value: 91%, negative predictive value: 58%). The best cut-off for identifying moderate/severe SAS was at 13 events/h (AUC: 0.86, sensitivity: 100%, specificity: 70%, positive predictive value: 68%, negative predictive value: 100%). Conclusions: SAS prevalence in patients with pacemakers is high (74%). Most are asymptomatic, which could delay the diagnosis. Patients with clinical indication for a pacemaker may benefit from a device with sleep apnea monitoring.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of Watch-PAT in Pediatric Sleep Disordered Breathing (PSDB) diagnosis in children with symptoms suggestive of PSDB, in which the nocturnal pulse oximetry was negative according to the Brouilette criteria. METHODS: We enrolled 28 patients aged between 5 and 12 years (mean age: 7.75 ± 1.69), who underwent the registration with Watch-PAT, that utilizes the Peripheral Arterial Tone (PAT), AHI, RDI, body position, snoring, pulse oximetry and actigraphy. RESULTS: Recording Watch-PAT was indicative of PSDB in 10/28 (35.7%) patients; when it was placed the threshold of AHI > 1 the number of positive patients for PSDB increased to 17/28 (60.7%). Exists a positive correlation between pat-RDI (rho = 0.798, p = 0.005) and the snoring > 40% of the time (rho = 0.656, p < 0.001) were correlated with the pat-AHI values. CONCLUSION: The recording Watch-PAT appears to permit the defection of a certain number of SDB that might escape to the clinical evaluation and pulse oximetry only.

ObjectiveTo determine the long-term (>3 years) outcome of patients suffering from simple snoring or non-severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) treated by radiofrequency ablation of the soft palate.Study designObservational retrospective study.SettingTertiary care university hospital.Subjects and methodsSeventy-seven subjects were included between 1999 and 2006. Twenty-seven suffered from mild or moderate OSAS. All patients were treated by radiofrequency-assisted stiffening of the soft palate, with or without uvulectomy. Snoring (assessed on a 10cm visual analog scale (VAS)), marital status, presence of cardiovascular risk factors or pathologies and follow-up time were evaluated by postal questionnaire.ResultsMean follow-up time was 6.3±2.3 years. Mean snoring intensity decreased significantly in the immediate postoperative period (8.1±2.9 to 3.5±2.2cm on VAS). Over the longer term, however, we observed a significant increase in snoring intensity (5.7±2.9cm), which nevertheless remained below the preoperative values (P