IMPORTANT New Apnea Study

Restating the obvious but thought a few points should be made;

It is sweeps month for the media and what safer story than to let millions know that there may be a killer lurking in their beds. Great timing for the studies to come out and be misinterpretted by all. Grabbing those headlines is more important than anything.

While I applaud their bringing attention to this not so well know disorder they did their usual sensationalism. Unfortunately most people won't ever look at the actual studies to see what they said like you all have done.

The message that got out was that quite a few have this health problem, you will die from it faster and their is nothing you can do about it. The result will be people who should be tested won't be, people who want to give up will use it as an excuse and those that have given up will never come back.

The study is what it was, but the media made no attempt at any balance and should be taken to task.

mikemoran wrote:The message that got out was that quite a few have this health problem, you will die from it faster and there is nothing you can do about it.

Exactly! That is precisely the false message that got out! Those who don't bother to read the study will ignorantly assume their fate is sealed.

The result will be people who should be tested won't be, people who want to give up will use it as an excuse and those that have given up will never come back.

That's why I'm doing everything in my power to disseminate the facts of the study. Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is deadly.

Mike, I usually do think the media should be taken to task over a lot of things. In this case though, it was the researchers themselves who are squarely responsible for such a terrible message based on a poorly done study.

As never sleeps said:
"Would you reach a conclusion regarding the efficacy of cpap therapy based on participants who only used it half of their sleeping hours? Would you reach a conclusion regarding the efficacy of cpap therapy based on what someone SAID they did? This compliance was not verified by machine/software data; they just went by what these people told them regarding hours of use AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STUDY."

The study itself was a mess, imho. The researchers themselves kept hammering the word "treatment" over and over again throughout their conclusion. There was no evidence that the people being studied were actually getting EFFICACIOUS TREATMENT. The researchers did it wrong and got it wrong (imho.) The media reported what the researchers said.

I blame the researchers, not the media, in this case.

Unfortunately that faulty message will, indeed, be disseminated widely and sensationalized via the media, just as you said, Mike.

But where the misinformation started ... the way the study itself was conducted and the faulty conclusions drawn by the researchers themselves...that's the problem source, imho. Medical, scientific researchers who should know better -- not just a ratings hungry media -- will be the real cause of this:

The result will be people who should be tested won't be, people who want to give up will use it as an excuse and those that have given up will never come back.

What a shame.

Never Sleeps wrote: Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is deadly.

True statement, but in this case it should be Ignorance is bliss but Misinformation is deadly. I don't believe there is one person who would not read the studies, the posts, the misinterpretations, the interpretations & then use their own judgement as to what's right for them. To believe everything in the news, THAT would be ignorance. I think Mike hit the nail on the head with media, sweeps, etc. Which is why there has to be resources for people to learn to take control of their health and deal with whatever situations affect them. Unfortunately there are too many people in this world who only believe what TV, newsprint and their neighbors says.

rested gal wrote:Mike, I usually do think the media should be taken to task over a lot of things. In this case though, it was the researchers themselves who are squarely responsible for such a terrible message based on a poorly done study.

Unfortunately that faulty message will, indeed, be disseminated widely and sensationalized via the media, just as you said, Mike.

Good point, r.g. I can't blame the media for this debacle. They're reporting exactly what the study implied. Because of this study's "findings" (I use that term loosely), and in the absence of examining the "data" (there was none regarding cpap use for the duration of the study), certain individuals will undoubtedly stop or never start cpap therapy.

What a shame, indeed.

But wouldn't you think the news channels would do an in depth investigation, especially on subject that is not widely known? What better way to educate people. Or is it not sensational enough?

Sleepless on LI wrote:Beth,

Good post. "So what" is my critique, too. This means nothing to me, sorry. All I can say to the author of the article is, "Thanks for giving me something you inconclusively put out there, yet feel you want me to worry about, AND tell me there is virtually nothing I can do about it." If it doesn't help you to do anything but worry, what is the point? Oh, right. So I can stress myself out over the "fact" that I am more likely to die of a stroke being I have OSA, treated or untreated. No thanks.

Again, the study concerning OSA did not compare CPAP use to people that do not use CPAP. It compared stroke incidence with OSA. There were studies before that said people with OSA (1 in 5 men and 1 in 10 women) were more likely to have a stroke than the rest of the population. That is one of the reasons I use a CPAP.

The other study was a little more serious. It dealt with Central Apnea and CPAP users. It showed CPAP did not help much. OK, here are the flaws with that - did they use a BiPAP? Also, not all participants used it every night all night.

So if you have OSA keep using the CPAP. There are other previous studies that say it helps prevent heart failure and stroke. If you have Central Sleep Apnea, I would suggest a biPAP ( I am not a doctor or expert though). As we age, we all get more sever Central Apnea. We naturally lose brain stem cells. Maybe there will be RNAi therapies in the future for that.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): bipap, CPAP

Dan01 wrote:Again, the study concerning OSA did not compare CPAP use to people that do not use CPAP.

Yes, it did.

That is the point of this whole thread! Not only did they make that comparison and the effect on stroke risk, they did it without any verifiable data! That comparison is the very reason this topic is being discussed! If you read this thread in its entirety, and if you read the below referenced paper in its entirety, you'll see all the quotes peppered throughout this thread are taken directly from the authors of the study regarding their findings where they DID compare results of cpap vs. non-cpap use as it pertains to stroke risk.
Link to New England Journal of Medicine paper on risk factors with OSA

When I heard I stopped or partially stopped breathing 60 or so times an hour, my reaction was"My heart ain't liking this". It would seem pretty obvious that OSA is a real risk for heart attacks and strokes without any studies. If xpap treatment can stimulate regular breathing, how can it not decrease your chances of various serious physical problems? And I'm not talking about daytime sleepiness, which it obviously helps.

neversleeps wrote:

Dan01 wrote:Again, the study concerning OSA did not compare CPAP use to people that do not use CPAP.

Yes, it did.

That is the point of this whole thread! Not only did they make that comparison and the effect on stroke risk, they did it without any verifiable data! That comparison is the very reason this topic is being discussed! If you read this thread in its entirety, and if you read the below referenced paper in its entirety, you'll see all the quotes peppered throughout this thread are taken directly from the authors of the study regarding their findings where they DID compare results of cpap vs. non-cpap use as it pertains to stroke risk.
Link to New England Journal of Medicine paper on risk factors with OSA

I looked at the WHOLE document. I found one reference to CPAP. One. It was in the Appendix.

If you can find a quote from the OSA study let me know.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP, CSA

loonlvr wrote:When I heard I stopped or partially stopped breathing 60 or so times an hour, my reaction was"My heart ain't liking this". It would seem pretty obvious that OSA is a real risk for heart attacks and strokes without any studies. If xpap treatment can stimulate regular breathing, how can it not decrease your chances of various serious physical problems? And I'm not talking about daytime sleepiness, which it obviously helps.

You are right. Study after study indicate it helps prevent stroke and Heart disease in people with OSA, the bulk of apnea patients. The only danger is NOT using it.

OMG that study reads like mud.

Anyway, I agree with those who conclude that the study was NOT attempting to evaluate the efficacy of xPAP. The study only concludes that there is a link between OSA and an increased likelihood of stroke.

The researchers go out of their way to state that SOME in the study used xPAP, but that no effort was made to ensure compliance with the treatment. Nonetheless, looking at everyone in the group, the conclusion was STILL reached regarding OSA and stroke.

This is an important study, but it is only an initial step. Hopefully, the next study will be to see what effect xpap has on decreasing the stroke risk.

Of course if the media is reporting the study wrong - well, that is to be expected these days and is a disservice to the public (the media cares much less about the public than it does the advertising dollars). So it goes.

Jere wrote: The researchers go out of their way to state that SOME in the study used xPAP, but that no effort was made to ensure compliance with the treatment.

Jere, am I missing something? I did a search in the text of the OSA study for PAP, xPAP, cPAP and found one refernce in the appendix. What page did you see that on?

Dan01 wrote:Jere, am I missing something? I did a search in the text of the OSA study for PAP, xPAP, cPAP and found one refernce in the appendix. What page did you see that on?

Page 2039, right hand column, first full paragraph (discussing pressurization therapy).

Do you have a link?