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Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have decreased long-term survival. Treatment of OSA with either nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) or tracheostomy improves survival, but the effect of uvulopalatopharyngoplasty [...]

We have measured caloric intake, energy expenditure, and the thermogenic effect of food in ten patients with stable COPD who had a history of involuntary weight loss over several years [...]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common breathing disorder that causes snoring in obese, middle-aged men. OSA occurs when the upper airway passages either become narrow or collapse. Breathing stops completely for a while, followed by brief periods of rapid breathing. Many patients with OSA complain of swelling in the pharynx (throat), and some have edema (swelling due to the presence of fluid) in their upper airways. The goal in treating patients with OSA is to keep the airway passages open. This can be accomplished using a procedure called nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). This procedure involves having the patient breathe pressurized air through a nose mask during sleep. In order to determine the effect of nasal CPAP on airway passages, five men with OSA were studied. Each subject underwent treatment with nasal CPAP for four to six weeks. Before and after treatment with nasal CPAP, the airway passages were examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which provides detailed images of internal organs on a computer display screen. Following nasal CPAP, the episodes of apnea were reduced, the volume and diameter of the pharynx increased, the volume of the tongue decreased, and the amount of fluid in the upper airways decreased. These results indicate that nasal CPAP produces beneficial changes in the airway passages of patients with OSA, and that MRI is a good technique for examining upper airway passages. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Studies show that malnutrition occurs in 40 to 50 percent of patients hospitalized with emphysema, a chronic lung disease characterized by distention and destruction of lung tissue due to increased air spaces within the lungs. Malnutrition is associated with increased rates of death and disease in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), an increased resistance to airflow within the lungs due to narrowing of the airways. In addition, malnutrition has been associated with a decrease in the mass of the diaphragm, a respiratory muscle separating the chest and abdominal cavities, and muscle fatigue in patients with COLD. Refeeding, or renewal of feeding, was shown to improve peripheral muscle fatigue in malnourished patients with COLD. Studies examining the effects of refeeding on respiratory muscle function in malnourished patients with COLD have produced inconsistent results. Hence, the effects of refeeding on the strength and endurance of respiratory muscles were assessed in 10 malnourished patients with COLD over a 16-day period. Six patients received a total caloric intake of about 1,000 calories (kcal) above their usual intake. The remaining four patients received only 100 kcal above their usual caloric intake. The refed group showed increases in weight gain and improvement in some measurements of lung function. These findings show that short-term refeeding improves respiratory muscle endurance and some aspects of muscle strength, without causing changes in the function of the peripheral muscles. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

A 25-year-old woman suffering from chronic anorexia nervosa lost more than 50 percent of her body weight and presented with generalized muscle weakness. Pulmonary function tests showed a severe restrictive [...]