Continuous Positive Airway Pressure The - PubMed Mobile

More encouraging data on the wavefront of studies on the CVS effects of CPAP therapy on OSA.

Demonstrating an increase in nitric oxide and blood flow and a concommitant decrease in inflammatory mediators, the benefits are similar to and complents pharmacotherapy and exercise for the occlusive and thrombotic vascular diseases - ie. IHD, stroke, PVD.

It will be good to see sleep testing and CPAP become mainstay in the management and prevention of these vascular diseases

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22278815/

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Polysomnographic findings and clinical presentation of adult men with OSA in China - PubMed

What's useful about this simple descriptive study is that it represents a closer-to-home Asian profile, and a stratification into 3 equal groups of young/middle-aged/elderly men for comparison.

What the demonstrates is that OSA decreases in severity and CSA increases with age!

The questions this raises is:
1- What physiologic mechanisms are at work to reduce upper airway obstruction and inhibit respiratory drive?
2- What does this mean for long-term follow up? Should we retest and how often to see this reduction, potentially reversal of OSA?
3- How does this change management strategies? Is there a role for weaning off CPAP (given the poor compliance rates, long term) and exploring surgical modalities as age advances? (I can see how this is important so that patients, given something to look forward to are not lost on follow up).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22276350/

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Children's Asthma Not Eased by Anti-Reflux Drug

This is one good example of how children aren't just small adults and extrapolating our experience treating 'acid asthma' successfully in adults isn't transferrable.

The findings in this study isn't surprising since we do know that asthma is an atopic disease which peaks in early childhood and abates after puberty, while the adult variety is a residual of that or a different entity altogether.

The premise for the success of PPIs in adults I believe is that reflux is responsible for prolonging asthma beyond childhood and also for new onset bronchospasm mimicking asthma.

http://m.voanews.com/english/Childrens-Asthma-Not-Eased-by-Anti-Reflux-Drug-138085933.html
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High rate of neck cancer

The Star highlighted the importance of head & neck cancers in Malaysia, though that paragraph about isn't very clear, it is to say that...
1) NPC is the 5th most common cancer in Malaysia
2) NPC is the top head & neck cancer in Malaysia, and
3) As a group, head & neck cancer is the second most common, after female breast cancer, in Malaysia.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/20/nation/10300494&sec=nation

CPAP cures metabolic syndrome in obstructive sleep apnea (RCT, NEJM)

This is a fascinating study not just because it demonstrates the benefit of CPAP in reducing sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and LDL, but more so for its use of a 'sham CPAP' for placebo!

As the commentator notes, it's unclear if the benefits were the direct result of reducing hypoxic events or more indirectly because of increased activity and exercise in the less somnolent. It would be good to control for that.

http://pulmccm.org/main/2012/randomized-controlled-trials/cpap-cures-metabolic-syndrome-in-obstructive-sleep-apnea-rct-nejm/

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Liow: Heavy snorers may have sleep disorder

Our Minister of Health has taken cognizance of the serious health implications of OSA.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/8/nation/10225247&sec=nation

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Chemoradiotherapy for Early-stage Nasopharyngeal Disease - The ASCO Post

Given the better outcomes of Stage III and IV NPC on CCRT, one wonders if the same radiosensitising effect would benefit the earlier stages.

Stage I and IIa NPC has up to now never been candidates for concurrent chemotherapy, since outcomes have been good on radiotherapy alone.

This trial addresses that particular gap in our knowledge and the results suggest that the benefit is not only significant, it is a worthwhile endeavor given the minimal and controllable adverse effects.

http://www.ascopost.com/articles/january-15-2012/chemoradiotherapy-for-early-stage-nasopharyngeal-disease/

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