Sleep Apnea: Out of The Sleep Clinic and Into Cardiologists' Hands

This article claims that one-third of all adults in North and South America suffer from some form of sleep disordered breathing.

They are saying that since this is such a significant factor in heart disease, cardiologists should be the first line in the diagnosis of Sleep Apnea. This would b e done with a finder based instrument that is already FDA approved. Sleep doctors would continue to be in charge of the treatment, do a more detailed diagnosis (if required), and presumably continue to diagnose patients who are not (yet) seeing a cardiologist.


Link ===> https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sleep ... nds-593426

This looks more like an advertisement for WatchPat.
Rudimentary, but in widespread use already.
It could be a simple add-on when sending the patient home with a Holter monitor.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:49 am

This article claims that one-third of all adults in North and South America suffer from some form of sleep disordered breathing.

They are saying that since this is such a significant factor in heart disease, cardiologists should be the first line in the diagnosis of Sleep Apnea. This would b e done with a finder based instrument that is already FDA approved. Sleep doctors would continue to be in charge of the treatment, do a more detailed diagnosis (if required), and presumably continue to diagnose patients who are not (yet) seeing a cardiologist.


Link ===> https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sleep ... nds-593426

OK and then the Sleep Doctor orders the same type of home study (again?) in order to prescribe a CPAP. I wanted a lab study not insurance said "No". No titration, just prescribing based on home study data. Cheap.

Interesting... Wonder how hard it would be to get your hands on some of these OSA testing devices... I have several family members who are being absolute knuckle heads and won't go get tested - but may humor me if I had a way of testing them my self.

Restwell,

Gryphon

You can buy one ... for almost $3,000.

Julie wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2019 10:09 am

You can buy one ... for almost $3,000.

at that price, why not buy two?

zonker wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2019 10:30 am

Julie wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 24, 2019 10:09 am

You can buy one ... for almost $3,000.

at that price, why not buy two?

NO! You need to buy three, that way you can tell which of the first two is reading correctly. Jim

OK and then the Sleep Doctor orders the same type of home study (again?) in order to prescribe a CPAP. I wanted a lab study not insurance said "No". No titration, just prescribing based on home study data. Cheap.

Kaiser ONLY does home testing with a WatchPat device and then home titration unless you turn out to have something really difficult to diagnose and treat. My group class when they gave out the WatchPats for testing included truckers (who also had to use a chest strap) and a heart transplant patient. At first I was grousing about Kaiser cheaping out with only home studies and titrations but the reality is that 1)I NEVER would have put up with an in lab test and I'd still be undiagnosed and untreated today, 2) the WatchPat is pretty accurate and I think the accuracy is even better in your own bed and sleeping conditions--likewise titrating you over a week (or more in my case) in your own bed and sleeping conditions makes a lot more sense that a snapshot in the sleep lab under very artificial conditions.

One of our members had more complex apnea and Kaiser did a second test in a lab setting. But since the vast majority of us have "run of the mill" OSA, it makes a lot of sense to do it this way.

My prediction is that eventually our Apple Watches will tip people off to the possible diagnosis of OSA. Atrial fib has a big correlation to OSA and they already detect atrial fib on the watches with the ECG capability. They already have the technology to incorporate an oximeter into the watch that could pick up desats during the night, if they ever choose to deploy it.

That's one of the final things I'm waiting to see them make available before I pull the trigger on buying a smart watch. I'm thinking I want a Samsung device - as I don't use apple stuff. But we'll see... Right now I have a 19.00 +- watch with a 8 dollar fabric band that I'm happy with. It doesn't do 90% of the stuff a smart watch would but I'm ok with that. I swear a lot less when I accidently wack my wrist on something like a shelf or door facing then I would if I was wearing a 300+ dollar watch.

3000 dollars for a fancy wrist watch that has some sensor probe abilities is moronic. someone should work out exactly how the sensors that work with it work... Not hard... then create external blue tooth modules and you could buy a 350 dollar wrist watch and say... 300 dollars cost on the sensors to be generous... and you'd have a nice watch when your done and a in-home sleep device.

for 3000 you know they don't want any one buying these things but doc's .... O well. It was an interesting idea anyway.

Restwell,

Gryphon