Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition that interferes with or halts breathing during sleep, can lead to moderate or even severe medical conditions from hypertension to depression. And it is a condition that is common among the American population.

When we are awake and conscious, we are aware of our breathing process and can control the rate and rhythm of breathing. However, during sleep breathing is controlled by the respiratory brain centers and is a totally involuntary action that cannot be controlled.

In sleep apnea, there is interference in the normal regular breathing process during sleep, leading to an interruption in breathing during sleep.

With obstructive sleep apnea, some part of the lumen of the respiratory tract is narrowed to such an extent that it partially or completely collapses and the breathing process in interfered with or comes to a halt.

Besides affecting the quality of life, obstructive sleep apnea gives rise to a number of moderate to severe medical conditions like hypertension, angina, nocturnal cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, stroke, emotional probelms, depression, mood disorders, poor memory, and irritability not to mention daytime drowsiness that affects the ability to effectively work, drive or operate any kind of equipment.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a comon condtion, affecting about four per cent of American adults - about one in 25 people. While the condition has a high prevalence among the general population, 80 per cent of people with the disorder are left undiagnosed because many people are either unaware of their problem or neglect the condition.

Obstructive sleep apnea, which can affect any age person even children, is seen more in overweight individuals but it may also be seen in individuals of normal weight who have other anatomic conditions like enlarged tonsils and adenoids, macroglossia (enlarged tongue), or abnormal positioning of the maxilla and mandible. Recent studies have also shown that obstructive sleep apnea is frequently seen in patients suffering from congestive heart failure.

Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea include the following:
• loud snoring that is usually unnoticed by the patient but disturbs the bedroom partner
• gasping and choking noises during sleep
• disrupted sleep with frequent awakenings
• frequent nightmares (especially children)
• dry mouth, sore throat or headache after waking up in the morning
• excessive daytime sleepiness
• high blood pressure

Physical examination and weight measurement can provide some information about the possiblity of obstructive sleep apnea but there are other tests that should be conducted to confirm the condition. The primary test to evaluate obstructive sleep apnea is the Nocturnal Polysomnography (overnight sleep study) which involves monitring of different events during sleep like eye movements, chest wall movements and EEG.

Treatment of obstructive sleep apnea largely depends on the severity of the condition and varies from one individual to another. Generally speaking, conservative measures for mild cases include the following:
• weight loss therapy is important treatment in the case of overweight patients and can improve symptoms in many patients
• sleeping in lateral positions (sleeping on your side)
• avoid alcohol four to six hours before bedtime
• quit smoking
• avoid sleep medications

In more severe case of obstructive sleep apnea, the condition requires specific treatment which includes the following measures:
• Nasal continuous positive airway pressure which is a nasal mask worn during sleep to keep the airway patent by providing positive air pressure into the airway.
• Oral and dental appliances to manipulate the jaw bone in such a way that it enlarges the posterior airspace.
• Oral surgery that involves widening the airway by removing excess soft tissue from the throat or by removing enlarged tonsils and adenoids if they are the cause of the problem.
• Laser assisted removal of soft tissue.

Most patients with obstructive sleep apnea can be treated effectively with one of these treatments, although, some people may require more than one modality of treatment.

Infertile women who undergo a series of mind-body treatments may increase their chances of becoming pregnant by in vitro fertilization (IVF), according to a recent U.S. study.

In the study, one group of women undergoing IVF took part in 10 sessions of a mind-body treatment while another group of women undergoing IVF did not take part in the treatments.

After one session, there was no difference in pregnancy rates between the two groups. During the next cycle of IVF treatments, however, 52 per cent of the women who underwent the mind-body treatments became pregnant, compared to 20 per cent of the women in the control group. The study further indicated the mind-body sessions seemed to be especially effective for women who were more depressed.

In another study conducted at the University of California, researchers surveyed 431 infertile couples undergoing IVF and found that 28 per cent had also used complementary and alternative medical therapy, with 22 per cent trying acupuncture, 17 per cent trying herbal therapies and five per cent trying body work.

In another study conducted in New York, researchers discovered 47 per cent of infertile couples had tried alternative therapies in addition to IVF to get pregnant, with 90 per cent of them considering the alternative therapy effective.

Renewed concerns over a chemical used in the manufacture of hard plastic bottles are making headlines after Chinese men working in a factory who received very high doses of the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, reported high rates of sexual problems.

In a recent study, financed by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health in the U.S., researchers say heavy exposure to BPA while on the job was linked to impotence and lower sexual desire and satisfaction, adding to concerns about the chemical’s effects on consumers.

BPA is a chemical widely used in a variety of consumer products, including some hard plastic bottles and metal food or beverage cans. Several manufacturers of baby bottles have indicated that they have stopped using the chemical. According to estimates, about 90 per cent of the U.S. population has detectable levels of the chemical in the urine.

Scientists have expressed concern that BPA exposure may harm the reproductive and nervous systems as well as promote prostate and breast cancers. A preliminary study conducted last year reported a link between BPA and possible risk for heart disease and diabetes.

According to the researchers in the recent study, the Chinese men were exposed to BPA levels that were about 50 times higher than those faced by typical American men. Furthermore, the researchers indicated there was no indication that typical doses would have the same effects.

For the study, researchers studied 164 male factory workers in China who were exposed to high levels of BPA while on the job and compared the results with those of 386 Chinese men in the same town but who either worked at other factories or were married to factory workers. The researchers measured BPA exposure through air sampling and interviewed the workers about their sexual activity.

The researchers found that men with high BPA exposure were about four times more likely to report trouble achieving erections as those men who worked at other factories, about seven times more likely to say they had difficulty ejaculating, and about four times more likely to report low sex drive or low sexual satisfaction.

According to the researchers, the workers were probably exposed to the chemical not only through inhalation and skin contamination but also by swallowing the BPA powder that contaminated their food.

Last year the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. concluded that trace amounts of BPA that leached out of bottles and food containers was not dangerous. After this latest study, however, the FDA is reviewing its stance after criticism from its scientific advisers.

Breast cancer patients can reduce stress and improve their emotional and mental well-being with transcendental meditation, according to a new U.S. study.

In the two-year study, 130 patients aged 55 and older at Saint Joseph Hospital in Chicago were placed in one of two groups - one practicing transcendental medication and the other was the ususal care control group - with the patients’ quality of life assessed every six months.

The study’s researchers point that emotional and psychosocial stress contribute to the onset and progression of breast cancer and cancer mortality. The researchers found, however, transcendental medication reduced stress and improved emotional well-being as well as mental health in older breast cancer patients.

Furthermore, the researchers report the women in the study who practised the meditation techniques experienced significant benefits in their overall quality of life.

Experts in the U.S. are debating evidence that links popular acid reflux drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec to possible bone and heart problems.

The drugs, which belong to a class of pharmacetuical called “proton pump inhibitors” or PPIs and are generally considered safe and effective, have been the subject of studies that link their use to a variety of health problems from an increased rate of hip factture to a greater likelihood of diarrhea and community-acquired pneumonia.

Some medical experts point out that, while PPIs are an important class of medication, recent scientific literature raises questions that require further study of such issues as how the body’s metabolism of PPIs affects blood levels of other drugs processed in the liver.

Other experts believe the current studies do not meet the rules of evident to clearly implicate the effects of PPIs and, at the same time, the studies do not weight the bgenefits of treatment against any potential risk.

Millions of Americans take some type of proton pump inhibitor to ease the erosive effects of acid reflux. In 2008, PPIs were the third largest selling therapeutic class in the U.S. with sales of $13.9 billion. Furthermore, they were the sixth most widely dispenses retail prescription medication with 113.4 million prescriptions.

Among the health problems being connected with PPIs, the one causing the most concern involves its interaction with with blood thinner clopidogrel, Plavix, and one study even linked the drug combination to a 70 per cent increased risk of heart attack or unstable angina and a 48 per cent increased risk of stroke.

Medical experts who question the link between PPIs and an increased risk of other health problems say the studies are based mostly on information collected from a particular population.

Patients who are concerned about these drugs are advised to speak to their medical professional.

A new study has found that more than six million children in the U.S. have a deficiency in vitamin D.

According to the Amaerican Academy of Pediatrics, the blood levels of vitamin D in children should be at least 50 nanomoles per liter (nmol/L). Studies have found that adults with blood levels of vitamn D of at least 75 nmol/L and up to 100 nmol/L could help to reduce the risk of heart disease and specific cancers.

In the recent study, conducted in the U.S., researchers collected data on about 5,000 children under the age of 12 years who participated in the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers found that almost one in five children, or 6.3 million children, had less than the recommended level of vitamin D.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that more than two-thirds of children have vitamin D levels below 75 nmol/L, including 80 per cent of Hispanic children, 92 per cent of black children and 59 per cent of white children. The researchers also found that children who took multivitamins that included vitamin D had higher levels overall but less than half of all children were taking a multivitamin.

While exposure to sunlight is the best way of obtaining vitamin D, areas in the northeast that experience winter conditions receive too little sunlight for vitamin D production. A few foods like fatty fish such as salmon, egg yolks, some cheese and certain meats contain vitamin D naturally and milk and some cereals are fortified with vitamin D.

That leaves vitamin D supplements as the best way of getting enough of the vitamin. One expert from the Boston University School of Medicine says from the time a child is born they should be on a minimum 400 IU of vitamin D a day and, after the age of one year, they should be up to 1,000 IU per day while teenagers should be on 2,000 IU a day.

For those who are interested in learning Sophro-ki® Sophrology can now take it in the comfort of their own home. On November 9, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Energy Centre in Switzerland is offering the introductory course via internet and tele-conference.

Sophrology was translated into English by Dorna Louise Wilson Revie from Switzerland who was trained by Prof. Caycedo, creator of the method, Dr. Abrezol, creator of Sophrology for sport, and Claudia and Ricardo Lopez-Sanchez who created Sophrology for children. Revie created Sophro-ki® Sophrology for the English speaking world and her school, Energy Centre in Geneva, Sqitzerland, offers a Practitioner diploma course in Sophro-ki® Sophrology.

To take the tele-conference course, you will need a computer with a good internet connection, a telephone near the computer and a comfortable chair. You will be able to download the exercises as MP3 files or to copy to CDs so you can practise the exercises after.

The course will consist of five, one-hour sessions and will cost $100 (US) plus the cost of one hour local phone call for each class. The course will take you through the introduction to Sophro-ki® Sophrology and will include the following:
• dynamic relaxation and meditation
• release of emotional blockages
• being in the here and now - being present
• concentration and focus
• increasing energy levels
• nourishing the cells

Sophro-ki® Sophrology is an alternative health practice that helps to maintain balance in the physical and mental well-being. The practice consists of a series of physical and mental exercises that are short, easy to remeber and can be done anytime, anywhere.

To register for the tele-conference course go to www.energycentre.ch.

Fatigue is one of the most troublesome side effects of chemotherapy. Now a new study out of Denmark has found cancer patients who engage in supervised exercise during chemotherapy may be able to reduce their fatigue and boost muscle strenth, aerobic capacity and emotional well-being.

The study involved 269 cancer patients aged 20 to 65 years from two hospitals in Copenhagen, Denmark, who has been diagnosed with 21 types of cancer. In addtiion to their standard care, some of the participants in the study took part in an exercise program that included both high- and low-intensity cardiovascular and resistance training, relaxation and body awareness and massage, receiving nine hours of weekly training over a six week period.

Patients in the exercise group reported significantly less fatigue than those who did not receive exercise training. The researchers found that the exercise program proved beneficial for even those patients with advanced cancer.

The researchers noted that while exercise did not improve overall quality of life, the study showed there was a rationale for promoting multimodal exercise interventions to improve physical capacity, vitality, physical and mental well-being and relieving fatigue during chemotherapy which, in turn, supported cancer patients’ daily living activities.

After looking at some old data, researchers recently found evidence that high body fluid levels of the antioxidant urate may slow the progresive damage caused by Parkinson’s disease.

In a clinical trial to assess the impact of urate on Parkinson’s, funded by the Michale J. Fox Foundation, 90 people with Parkinons’s disease are being recruited to study whether or not regular intake of inosine, a dietary supplement that is a precursor of urate, slows the deterioration of nerves caused by Parkinson’s.

Initial results of the study are expected to be available in about two years while more definitive studies will take five years or longer to complete. Until then, the researchers suggest those with Parkinson’s disease should be very cautious because there are some safety concerns to be considered.

Some dangers associated with overdosing on a urate supplement include kidney stones and gout as well as an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Natural sources of urate are ones that people are often told to avoid and include fructose (a sugar that is blamed for an epidemic of obesity), alcohol and even smoking.

Pregnant women who take selective serotonin reuptake linhibitors (SSRIs), a popular type of antidepressant, may be increasing the risk of a preterm birth as well as the need for treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit and lower overall health for the baby, according to a new study.

For the study, researchers compared birth outcomes among babies born to 329 women who took SSRIs during pregnancy, 4,902 women who had a history of psychiatric illness but did not take SSRIs during pregnancy and 51,770 women who had no history of mental illness

The researchers found that those women who took SSRIs during pregnancy gave birth an average of five days earlier and had double the risk for preterm delivery as those women who had no history of mental illness. Furthermore, the researchers found babies of mothers who took SSRIs dsuring pregnancy were more likely than babies in the other two groups to have a five minute Apgar score of seven or lower, the general indicatedor of good infant health, or had to be admitted to the neonatal intensive cre unit

In addition, the researchers found that infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and had been exposed to SSRIs had seizures, jitteriness, infections, respiratory problems and jaundice that may have been caused by the withdrawal from SSRIs or had adverse effects to the antidepressants.