Study Shows That Milder Forms Of Sleep-Disordered Breathing

medicalnewstoday.com — A study in the July 1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that episodes of sleep-disordered breathing accompanied by mild oxygen desaturations of as little as two percent are associated with hyperglycemia. Adults with 11 or more apnea-hypopnea events per hour with an oxygen desaturation of 2.0 percent to 2.9 percent had an adjusted cumulative odds ratio of 1.41 for impaired fasting glucose or diabetes. Apneas are complete pauses in breathing, and hypopneas are partial reductions in breathing. Events must last at least 10 seconds to be considered an episode of sleep-disordered breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common form of sleep-disordered breathing that involves a decrease or complete halt in airflow despite an ongoing effort to breathe. It occurs when the muscles relax during sleep, causing soft tissue in the back of the throat to collapse and block the upper airway. read more...

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'Dangerous' dementia drugs to be reviewed

independent.co.uk — The prescribing of powerful anti-psychotic drugs to patients with dementia is to be reviewed immediately, ministers have said. The announcement follows evidence that up to half of GPs are prescribing the drugs as a "chemical cosh" to subdue challenging patients, despite safety warnings issued four years ago. Ivan Lewis, a Health minister, ordered the review at the launch of a proposed national dementia strategy to improve care for the 570,000 sufferers in England. read more...

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Common Sleep Problem Linked With Memory Loss

well.blogs.nytimes.com — The part of the brain that stores memory appears to shrink in people with sleep apnea, adding further evidence that the sleep and breathing disorder is a serious health threat. The findings, from brain scan studies conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, show for the first time that sleep apnea is associated with tissue loss in brain regions that store memory. And while the thinking and focus problems of sleep apnea patients often are attributed to sleep deprivation, the scans show something far more insidious is occurring. read more...

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Sleepy Driving Prevalent Among Collegians

nlm.nih.gov — MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Driving while suffering from a lack of sleep may be a real problem for American college students, a new report suggests. Interviews with 263 students at the University of North Texas found that 17 percent of them fell asleep while driving, and 2.2 percent of that group reported having accidents because of this drowsiness. A majority in both groups reported greater daytime sleepiness or having significantly less sleep than those who didn't fall asleep with driving. "The results of the study identify a surprisingly high prevalence of having fallen asleep while driving among college students, and specifically highlight the increased risk of driving among those with significant sleepiness," study author Diana Dolan, of Sleep Medicine Associates of Texas, said in a prepared statement. The report was slated to be presented Monday at SLEEP 2008, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, in Baltimore. Drowsy driving caused approximately 100,000 police-reported crashes annually, resulting in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. read more...

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For Women, a Happy Marriage Means Sweet Dreams

nlm.nih.gov — MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- Trouble in your marriage can cause trouble in bed, but not necessarily the kind of trouble that first comes to mind. New research has found that women in happy marriages tend to sleep more soundly than women in unhappy marriages. In fact, women with good marriages have about 10 percent greater odds of getting a decent night of shut-eye compared to women who aren't happy with their spouse. "Marriage can be good for your sleep if it's a happy one. But, being in an unhappy marriage can be a risk factor for sleep disturbance," said the study's lead author, Wendy M. Troxel, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh. The million-dollar question, Troxel said, is which comes first -- does the unhappy marriage lead to poor sleep, or does poor sleep contribute to a bad marriage? read more...

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College Night Owls Have Lower Grades

nlm.nih.gov — MONDAY, June 9 (HealthDay News) -- College students who are morning people tend to get better grades than those who are night owls, according to University of North Texas researchers. They had 824 undergraduate students complete a health survey that included questions about sleep habits and daytime functioning, and found that students who are morning people had higher grade point averages (GPAs) than those who are night people. "The finding that college students who are evening types have lower GPAs is a very important finding, sure to make its way into undergraduate psychology texts in the near future, along with the research showing that memory is improved by sleep," study co-author Daniel J. Taylor said in a prepared statement. read more...

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