Guest guest Posted May 9, 2003 Report Share Posted May 9, 2003 Thu, 8 May 2003 13:40:01 -0500 HSI - Jenny Thompson Sleepy Head SLEEPY HEAD Health Sciences Institute e-Alert May 8, 2003 ************************************************************** Dear Reader, Almost every busy person I know (and who isn't busy?) feels that they aren't getting enough sleep. When the demands of life crowd in, all too often we buy some extra time by going to bed later or getting up earlier. Fortunately for most of us, we have the option to play catch-up by disciplining ourselves to get the right amount of sleep. But for those who suffer from sleep apnea (estimated to be 12 million in the U.S. alone), catching up on sleep is usually a losing proposition that can have dire results. Last year, a Swedish study demonstrated that men who develop sleep apnea are at considerably greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those without the sleep disorder. As I told you in an e-Alert about that study ( " While You Were Sleeping " 8/14/02), the research also showed that the men who were treated for sleep apnea reduced their risk of developing CVD. Obviously, the earlier sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated, the better. And now the results of a recent UCLA study provide what may be an important clue in determining the risk of developing sleep apnea, paving the way for earlier and better diagnosis. ----------------------------- Crimping the hose ----------------------------- Although the primary symptom of sleep apnea is snoring, there's much more to this sleep disorder than the annoying sound of sawing logs. The word apnea literally means " without breath, " and that's a fair representation of how almost 25 percent of all middle- aged men and 9 percent of women in America spend their nights. People with sleep apnea actually stop breathing during their sleep, sometimes as many as a hundred times per night, with each episode lasting a minute or longer. Part of the reason a person with sleep apnea feels fatigued during the day is because their body hasn't been getting enough oxygen during sleeping hours. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in which the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep, closing off the airway. This can be caused by physiological characteristics such as a small jaw, enlarged tonsils and fatty tissue in the throat, but sometimes sleep apnea occurs in people who have none of those traits. ----------------------------- Connecting the MRI dots ----------------------------- Researchers at UCLA wanted to know if other factors hidden in the brain might contribute to sleep apnea. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the UCLA team compared the brain structures of 21 men with sleep apnea against 21 men with normal sleep patterns and found a dramatic difference in the brains of the two groups. In the group with sleep apnea, the MRI scans clearly revealed a loss of tissue in the section of the brain responsible for the control of speech production. Furthermore, the subjects with the most advanced symptoms of sleep apnea were shown to have the most severe damage to that region of the brain. The same brain regions in the healthy subjects were almost 20 percent larger in some cases than the men with sleep apnea. According to researchers, their findings suggest that a subtle damage early in life to the region of the brain that regulates speech may set the stage for two results: mild speech impairment, and the development of a malfunction in the throat muscles surrounding the air passage - a condition that may trigger sleep apnea years later. This theory was supported by the fact that almost 40 percent of the sleep apnea subjects had a history of childhood speech impediments such as stuttering. ----------------------------- All in the head ----------------------------- Last summer I told you about the time I awoke to the sound of a helicopter hovering above the house - or so I thought. It turned out to be my husband, snoring in the bathtub. And while this and other stories about snoring can be amusing, snoring that disrupts sleep patterns should be taken seriously. As the UCLA study demonstrates, this is especially true of anyone who has ever experienced any impairment of speech. I have a friend named Jim who was diagnosed last year with sleep apnea. After reading about the UCLA study I called and asked him if he'd ever had a speech impediment. He told me that he hadn't, but was interested to hear about the UCLA research. The next day he called back to tell me he'd remembered that during his first few years of elementary school he stuttered whenever he was asked to read aloud. This problem eventually passed (it was diagnosed as psychosomatic), but now he wonders if the problem - described as being " all in his head " - was actually the result of some faulty wiring in the brain. All in the head, indeed. Jim copes with his sleep apnea by using continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which requires a device to supply a stream of air through a small plastic mask secured over the nose. He tells me it was uncomfortable at first and took some getting used to. But within a week he was feeling less fatigued and more alert throughout the day, which helped him develop a positive attitude about wearing the device. There are other ways to treat sleep apnea. Some patients use oral devices designed to open the airway passage during sleep, and surgery is an option, although it should probably be considered a last-ditch effort when other methods have failed. Admittedly, the treatment choices are not terribly appealing, but their effectiveness in reducing the risk of CVD makes them well worthwhile. ************************************************************** ....and another thing A gremlin got into the works in this past Tuesday's e-Alert ( " Getup'N'Gone " 5/6/03), and a link we supplied for a product called Trilovin 250 (a male libido and energy booster) didn't properly connect you with the intended information page. For those who tried to use it, I apologize for the inconvenience...and here's a fresh link with no bugs in it: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/BTRV/W600D402/home.cfm ....and ANOTHER another thing I'm always pleased when I receive e-mails from HSI members who call me on a misstep. For one thing, it lets me know when links aren't linking, and it also keeps me on my toes knowing that you're reading the letter. Case in point: Last month I sent you an e-Alert ( " Adult Swim " 4/16/03) about the ways that soy isoflavones might interfere with sexual and hormonal development. I said, " For a much broader overview of the health hazards of soy, (HSI Panelist) Dr. Spreen recommends what he calls a 'somewhat scary' article titled 'The Ploy of Soy' by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., published online at westonaprice.org. It's important to note that this is a pro-dairy group. " By characterizing the Weston A. Price Foundation as a " pro- dairy " group, I intended only to give a little background on their philosophy. But the term " pro-dairy " was not quite specific enough, as two members wrote to point out. Here's what a member named Doug had to say: " This is a major error because Weston Price is pro 'raw' dairy. In fact those of us who have been added to the rolls of raw being the best way to consume dairy look on present laws on pasteurization and the use of homogenization as a hindrance to good health. " I'm not going to elaborate here as to how we got here (the law) from there (before pasteurization), but I am convinced through experience and study that the freedom to chose between locally produced raw dairy versus the commercial monopolistic dairy product forced on us by law can only change through an informed populace. Hopefully I am not being presumptuous here, but I urge you to learn more about raw dairy. " I don't think Doug is being presumptuous at all, and I would join him in encouraging anyone to learn more about raw dairy (see two recent e-Alerts about milk: " Skimming & Scamming " 3/19/03, and " Milky Way " 4/9/03). Another similar comment from a member named Janise was even more specific: " The Weston A. Price Foundation advocates consumption of what might technically be called 'dairy products.' But the term 'dairy' when casually used, specifically calls to mind the stuff in cartons in the dairy section of supermarkets and convenience stores. Most of us have been conditioned (in part by the American Dairy Association's 'Got Milk?' campaign) to think of standard 'commodity milk' as normal, as what we mean when we say milk. We have come to think of the pasteurized, homogenized, de-fatted stuff from factory- style medicalized dairy farms as the only milk there is. In stark contrast, the Weston A. Price Foundation sponsors a growing worldwide campaign for 'Real Milk,' (realmilk.com) which is unpasteurized (raw), unhomogenized, unprocessed full-fat milk from pasture-fed animals, lovingly raised on small farms, as naturally as possible. The healthfulness profiles of these two very different products are worlds apart. " And in a P.S. Janice adds: " I have no connection to the Weston A. Price Foundation; but I have owned Sally Fallon's excellent book, " Nourishing Traditions, " almost from the day it was published. I have found her work and that of Mary Enig to be carefully researched and clearly written. " As with Doug, I completely agree with Janice's comments. In many e-Alerts I have often referred to articles on the W.A.P. web site, and have found the exhaustive research of Fallon and Enig to be a valuable and insightful resource - regarding soy, dairy, and other important nutrition topics. To Your Good Health, Jenny Thompson Health Sciences Institute ************************************************************** Sources: " UCLA Scientists Link Sleep Apnea to Brain Damage; Childhood Stuttering Suggests Disorder Results From Early Brain Flaw " UCLA News, 11/20/02, newsroom.ucla.edu " Sleep Apnea Linked To Early Brain Damage " Science Daily, 11/21/02, sciencedaily.com " Increased Incidence of Cardiovascular Disease in Middle- aged Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea " American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 166.159-165 " Take Warnings About Sleep Apnea to Heart " Health Scout News, 7/30/02 Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.hsibaltimore.com, L.L.C. The e-Alert may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please click here http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealert/questions.html ************************************************************** ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the HSI Forum, search past e-Alerts and products or you're an HSI member and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.hsibaltimore.com ************************************************************** To learn more about HSI, call (203) 699-4416 or visit http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/HSI/WHSIC313/home.cfm. ************************************************************** Gettingwell- / Vitamins, Herbs, Aminos, etc. To , e-mail to: Gettingwell- Or, go to our group site: Gettingwell The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo. 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