Longterm Therapy effects

Is anyone aware of research done on the Longterm Effects of XPAP Therapy. I am interested on the effects of therapy on the muscles of the throat, neck and chest. I understand one of the reasons for OSA is that the muscles of the airway passage in the neck relax during sleep and close/block the air passage. Does XPAP pressure help in toning and/or stimulating the muscles.

Also what happens when Therapy is stopped, does the person go back their previous level of OSA or is worse off etc.

Thanks in advance.
Sham

Just found these links which may be of interest :
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15947323
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/506119
http://bmsr.usc.edu/Core%20Research/mckk/H110.pdf
http://meeting.chestpubs.org/cgi/conten ... 128/4/223S

To quote my doctor

"Once your throat gets fat it stays fat"

Uncle_Bob wrote:To quote my doctor

"Once your throat gets fat it stays fat"

Mine told me "If you lose 50 pounds, you can stop using that thing!"

After losing 25 pounds, he changed it to "you may be able to stop using that thing..."

I've lost 35 now, and wonder how vague his answer will be on my next visit. "Concider occasionally cutting back on using that thing?"

Me and my antique are looking at a long restful relationship together.

I was quite slender and in great shape when I was diagnosed... I worked out in a gym every other day and had been doing so for the previous 19 years......... now after having deteriorating discs in my back and neck, no more gym workouts and I have gained weight... so let's just say an automatic losing weight will help might not be 100% accurate....

I lost about 30 pounds (down to 173 at 5 ' 11"), and that's when I was diagnosed with OSA. Go figure.

Shamb -- You ask an excellent question, and you posted some nice links.<P>

I'm hopeful that this topic sees much research in the future, everything from BP reduction as a function of time, reduced frequency of colds and flu, to self-reported gains in mental acuity, and etc.

I noticed a big change right from the beginning few months, and even felt better after a year (and a pressure change at 6 months.) I'm certain that I have even bigger symptom reversal gains after nearly 4 years, especially since I switched to an autopap with data capability, and optimized my therapy by reducing my AHI to below 1.

Re the bodyweight comments, I can tell you that I have likely had OSA SDB since childhood; and most of my 61 years, I have been of normal weight and I work out frequently. I could loose enough weight to look like Barney Fife, but that wouldn't change my throat architecture (in my case, I suspect a malformed hyoid process, but that's a guess.)

Regards all - - Capt M.


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