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Vahid Mohsenin

Publications and source records attributed to Vahid Mohsenin.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Improving Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea : What are the Available Options?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is a common and often life-altering sleep-related breathing disorder. It not only adversely affects cardiovascular health, but the quality of life of these patients is also often significantly compromised. They experience excessive daytime sleepiness and poor cognitive, social and exercise performance. Furthermore, they often have marital problems with increased divorce rates, depression, and poor job performance.Our purpose in writing this review is to highlight the various neuropsychiatric domains that are affected in OSA patients and to emphasize that identifying and treating this condition can significantly improve the quality of life of these individuals. In recent years there has been ample evidence supporting the role of treatment for OSA to improve cardiovascular outcomes. We provide similar evidence supporting the treatment of OSA to improve health-related quality of life outcomes for these patients. Surgical, non-surgical and pharmacologic modalities are currently available as effective options for the treatment of OSA, with continuous positive airway pressure therapy appearing to be the most promising.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure↗

Obstructive sleep apnea as a risk factor for stroke and death.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have suggested that the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome may be an important risk factor for stroke. It has not been determined, however, whether the syndrome is independently related to the risk of stroke or death from any cause after adjustment for other risk factors, including hypertension. METHODS: In this observational cohort study, consecutive patients underwent polysomnography, and subsequent events (strokes and deaths) were verified. The diagnosis of the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was based on an apnea-hypopnea index of 5 or higher (five or more events per hour); patients with an apnea-hypopnea index of less than 5 served as the comparison group. Proportional-hazards analysis was used to determine the independent effect of the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on the composite outcome of stroke or death from any cause. RESULTS: Among 1022 enrolled patients, 697 (68 percent) had the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. At baseline, the mean apnea-hypopnea index in the patients with the syndrome was 35, as compared with a mean apnea-hypopnea index of 2 in the comparison group. In an unadjusted analysis, the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome was associated with stroke or death from any cause (hazard ratio, 2.24; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.30 to 3.86; P=0.004). After adjustment for age, sex, race, smoking status, alcohol-consumption status, body-mass index, and the presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension, the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome retained a statistically significant association with stroke or death (hazard ratio, 1.97; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.12 to 3.48; P=0.01). In a trend analysis, increased severity of sleep apnea at baseline was associated with an increased risk of the development of the composite end point (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The obstructive sleep apnea syndrome significantly increases the risk of stroke or death from any cause, and the increase is independent of other risk factors, including hypertension.

Cohort Studies↗

Sleep, breathing, and menopause: the effect of fluctuating estrogen and progesterone on sleep and breathing in women.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is more common in men than in women. However, menopause increases the risk for development of OSA. Administration of estrogen and progesterone to postmenopausal women with OSA decreases apnea and hypopnea during sleep. OBJECTIVE: Because beneficial changes can be observed soon after administration of a short course of hormones, we hypothesized that suppression of these hormones would rapidly result in the development of SDB. METHODS: Production of sex hormones was suppressed with daily administration of leuprolide acetate (LA), a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue, for 5 weeks in women who were participating in a study on pharmacologically induced menopause and physiology. The subjects underwent polysomnographic evaluation at baseline and after 5 weeks of LA administration. RESULTS: In the 12 healthy women aged 18 to 34 years who participated in the study, sleep architecture and respiration were normal at baseline. After LA administration, the subjects stopped their menses, and their plasma concentrations of l7beta-estradiol (preadministration, mean [SD] 33.9 [9.0] pg/mL; post administration, 10.2 [3.4] pg/mL) and progesterone (preadministration, 0.48 [0.05] ng/mL; post administration, 0.40 [0.06] ng/mL) reached menopausal levels. Sex hormone deficiency was associated with climacteric vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and sweating. Sleep latencies and architecture did not change significantly with LA administration. The participants subjectively noticed some increased snoring that was not confirmed by polysomnogram. Specifically, there was no change in arousal index and no evidence for sleep fragmentation to suggest the presence of increased upper-airway resistance during sleep. The apnea-hypopnea index, 0.07 (0.02) to 0.22 (0.11) events per hour of sleep, did not change with sex hormone deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, sex hormone deficiency in young women resulted in climacteric symptoms and cessation of menses, and was not associated with sleep fragmentation or clinically significant SDB.

Adolescent↗

Sleep in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death, affecting 14 million adults in the United States. Symptoms related to sleep disturbances are common in moderate to severe COPD, particularly in elderly patients, in the form of morning tiredness and early awakenings. One major cause of morbidity in this population is abnormalities in gas exchange and resultant hypoxemia. Sleep has profound adverse effects on respiration and gas exchange in patients with COPD. There are several mechanisms underlying nonapneic oxygen desaturation during sleep. They include decreased functional residual capacity, diminished ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia, impaired respiratory mechanical effectiveness, diminished arousal responses, respiratory muscle fatigue, diminished nonchemical respiratory drive, increased upper airway resistance, and the position of baseline saturation values on the oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve. Smoking cessation, bronchodilation, and pulmonary rehabilitation are cornerstones of treatment of COPD. Improvement in lung mechanics and gas exchange should lead to better sleep quality and health status.

Humans↗

Obstructive sleep apnoea and stroke.

Many patients with stroke have concomitant sleep apnoea, which can affect recovery potential. Although stroke can lead to the development of sleep-disordered breathing, the current evidence suggests that sleep-disordered breathing may function as a risk factor for stroke. In this review, we focus on the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and stroke reviewing both the epidemiological data with respect to causation and the biological data, which explores pathogenesis. There is convincing evidence to believe that sleep apnoea is a modifiable risk factor for stroke; however, prospective studies are needed to establish the cause-and-effect relationship.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗

Sleep-disordered breathing and stroke.

Sleep-related breathing disorders are strongly associated with increased risk of stroke independent of known risk factors. The direction of causation favors sleep-disordered breathing leading to stroke rather than the other way around, although definitive proof of this awaits the results of prospective cohort studies. If causal, even a moderately elevated risk of stroke coupled with the high prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing could have significant public health implications. The relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and stroke risk factors is complex, and likely part of the risk for cerebrovascular events is because of higher cardiovascular risk factors in patients with increased RDI. The mechanisms underlying this increased risk of stroke are multi-factorial and include reduction in cerebral blood flow, altered cerebral autoregulation, impaired endothelial function, accelerated atherogenesis, thrombosis, and paradoxic embolism. Because of the effects of sleep-disordered breathing on vascular tone, hypertension is believed to be a major mechanism by which sleep-disordered breathing might influence risk of stroke. Because sleep-related breathing disorders are treatable patients with stroke/TIA should undergo investigation, with a thorough sleep history interview, physical examination, and polysomnography. Treatment of sleep apnea has been shown to improve quality of life, lower blood pressure, improve sleep quality, improve neurocognitive functioning, and decrease symptoms of excessive daytime sleepiness [98]. Further treatment trials are needed to determine whether treatment improves outcome after stroke and whether treatment may serve as secondary prophylaxis and modify the risk of recurrent stroke or death.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Can periodic limb movement disorder be diagnosed without polysomnography? A case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine whether clinical information can predict the presence of periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD). (2) To examine whether clinical data correlate with PLMD severity. METHODS: Sixty-one adult patients (48 males and 13 females, aged 55.1+/-14.1 years) with PLMD (without a clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome) were compared with 61 control patients without PLMD (43 males and 18 females, aged 49.6+/-16.1 years) in this case-control study. All patients completed a detailed questionnaire which included (1) demographics, (2) sleep complaints, (3) medical disorders, (4) use of medication, nicotine, and caffeine, and (5) history of nocturnal motor/sensory leg symptoms. All patients underwent standard polysomnography. RESULTS: The PLMD and control groups were similar in the prevalence of insomnia, hypersomnia, diabetes, peripheral neurologic disorders, anemia, spinal disease, antidepressant medication use, smoking, caffeine intake, and leg pain. Compared with the control group, the PLMD group reported more leg kicks (28% vs. 5%, P<0.001) and more crawling or aching sensations in legs (28% vs. 11%, P=0.023). The logistic regression analysis showed that only age (P=0.044), leg kicks (odds ratio (OR) 12.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.80-57.63, P=0.001), and crawling or aching in legs (OR 5.23, 95% CI 1.16-23.44, P=0.029) were significantly related to the presence of PLMD. The positive predictive value of leg kicks in the diagnosis of PLMD was 85% and the negative predictive value was 57%. Within the PLMD group, only age correlated positively with the PLM-index (r=0.47, P<0.001). Both the PLM-index and the PLM arousal-index were negatively correlated with sleep efficiency on polysomnography (P=0.005 and P=0.006, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical data are not sufficiently predictive of the presence of PLMD to rule in or rule out the diagnosis. Polysomnography is required for establishing the diagnosis of PLMD in patients with insomnia or hypersomnia.

Case-Control Studies↗

Effects of gender on upper airway collapsibility and severity of obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is far more common in males than females. The discrepancy between the lower prevalence of OSA, the greater frequency of obesity and the smaller airway size in women compared to men suggests that a gender difference underlies this condition. We hypothesized that due to differences in tissue linkage women have more stable and less mobile upper airway structures than men, providing protection against severe forms of OSA. METHODS: Seventy-one consecutive patients with OSA, defined as having apnea-hypopnea index > or =5 events per hour, were enrolled into the study. The median (range) apnea-hypopnea index was 20 (5-132) events/h. In addition, measurements of upper airway dimensions were made, using an acoustic reflectance method, while the lower jaw was in the resting position and during retrusive posture. Measurements of upper airway dimensions were used during wakefulness to examine whether changes in pharyngeal dimensions, resulting from retrusive movement of the mandible commonly occurring during sleep, would explain the gender differences in the characteristics of OSA. RESULTS: OSA was much more positional and severe in men than women as indicated by the higher apnea-hypopnea index in supine position compared with sleeping on the side (difference between supine and side apnea-hypopnea index: 43.7+/-5.2 (SEM) events/h in men versus 10.7+/-7.6 events/h in women, P=0.0015). The position dependency of OSA was most pronounced in those patients who demonstrated the largest decrease in pharyngeal cross-sectional area with retrusive movement of the mandible. There was no significant change in pharyngeal cross-sectional area as a result of retrusive movement of the mandible in women. CONCLUSIONS: Men tend to have a larger but more collapsible airway during mandibular movement than women and this, in part, may play a role in the positional dependency and severity of OSA in men.

Adult↗

Sleep-disordered breathing: implications in cerebrovascular disease.

Stroke and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are both common and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Several recent large epidemiologic studies have shown a strong association between these two disorders independent of known risk factors for stroke. This review will outline the scientific basis for this relationship and suggest SDB as a modifiable risk factor for stroke. Several studies have shown a characteristic circadian rhythmicity in stroke. The authors discussed the influence of normal sleep states as well as the effect of SDB on cerebral hemodynamics. The hemodynamic, metabolic, and hematologic changes during SDB in the form of decreased cerebral perfusion and increased coagulability are the possible pathogenetic mechanisms for stroke. There are accumulating lines of evidence that SDB may indeed cause diurnal hypertension. However, the increased risk of stroke in patients with SDB appears to be independent of coexisting hypertension, but the presence of hypertension would greatly increase the risk even further. Furthermore, several studies have documented high prevalence of sleep apnea in patients with transient ischemic attacks and stroke. SDB appears to contribute as a risk factor for stroke through hemodynamic and hematologic changes. Because of high prevalence of SDB in this population, patients with transient ischemic attacks and stroke should be screened for these disorders.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗

The role of oral appliances in treating obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: Sleep-related breathing disorders are common and often are associated with vascular complications such as arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke. The most widely studied form of these disorders is obstructive sleep apnea. Patients usually are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea years after the onset of symptoms, which generally are nonspecific and include excessive daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue and habitual snoring. The risk factors for sleep apnea are obesity, advancing age, male sex and maxillofacial abnormalities. This review focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and, specifically, on the utility of oral appliances in the management of this disorder. METHODS: The review is based on a MEDLINE search for articles in English on this topic. The article discusses results of randomized studies and prospective case series. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Several treatment options are quite effective. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure, with an overall acceptance rate of 70 percent, is the most widely used treatment modality. Maxillofacial surgery, although effective, is reserved for patients who have not responded to the more conventional therapies. Newer methods include application of oral appliances. Oral appliances have been shown to alleviate the severity of respiratory disturbances during sleep by about 60 percent, with an overall acceptance rate of 75 percent. The long-term complications generally are minor and are related to occlusal changes and temporomandibular joint discomfort. CONCLUSIONS: With the advent of oral appliances, dentists are increasingly involved in managing the care of patients with sleep-related breathing disorders. Further studies are needed to determine the long-term complications of this type of intervention for the treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders.

Adult↗

Respiratory complications of stroke.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Stroke survivors often experience medical complications and long-term disability. Disturbances in respiratory system function and complications affecting the respiratory system are common after stroke. The nature of these disorders depends on the severity and site of neurological injury. Alterations in breathing control, respiratory mechanics, and breathing pattern are common and may lead to gas exchange abnormalities or the need for mechanical ventilation. Stroke can lead to sleep disordered breathing such as central or obstructive sleep apnea. Sleep disordered breathing may also play a role in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction. Venous thromboembolism, swallowing abnormalities, aspiration, and pneumonia are among the most common respiratory complications of stroke. Neurogenic pulmonary edema occurs less often. Close observation of the stroke patient for these potential disturbances, and implementation of prophylactic measures can prevent significant morbidity and mortality.

Journal Article↗