Type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea tend to go hand-in-hand Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are both very common, each affecting around 10% of adults in the United States. Unfortunately, T2DM and OSA often go hand-in-hand. It has been known for some time that there are a large number of people who have both conditions, although there is evidence that OSA is often undiagnosed. Keep reading
Key Stages in Memory Before addressing the role of sleep in memory, let’s review what goes into making memories and how the underlying brain activities that form memory can change over time. Problems in memory can mainly happen at three different stages: encoding, consolidation, and retrieval. Each stage has its own function and occurs within specific brain regions. Encoding refers to the first process when new information is received and stored. Keep reading
Over the years, my colleagues and I have had requests to prescribe oxygen for treating sleep apnea in patients who do not tolerate CPAP. This made some sense since some of the complications of sleep apnea are driven by a lack of oxygen during periods of apnea. However, there has been little research addressing the role of oxygen as a sleep apnea treatment. We therefore designed the Heart Biomarker Evaluation in Apnea Treatment (HeartBEAT) study. Keep reading
Obstructive sleep apnea is now the number one reason for performing adenotonsillectomy (surgical removal of the tonsils and adenoids) in children in the U.S. It is estimated that over 500,000 adenotonsillectomies are performed annually in children. While in general this procedure is considered low risk, there are known potential consequences include bleeding and blockage of the airway due to swelling in the immediate post-operative period. Keep reading
Researchers and providers continually explore how treatments for sleep apnea may impact an individual’s quality of life. One current debate regarding treatment is the influence of positive airway pressure (PAP) devices and other sleep apnea treatments on body weight. On the one hand, treatment for sleep apnea can improve one’s quality of sleep, which can then lead to improved alertness, energy and mood. Keep reading
