Link between OSA and the "beer gut"

split_city wrote:My point exactly.....keep ignoring the questions at hand. You obviously were pretty proud of yourself when posting negative comments earlier in this thread. I have been informed that this is not uncommon for you. Perhaps you should think before posting similar comments next time.

I'm kinda confused as to WHAT the "questions at hand" really are.
AND, what "scientific data" you are looking to obtain from this bunch of "hoseheads".....especially from your original premise of the "beer gut" effect.

With regard to recent discussions in this thread concerning depression and the hypothalamus, here are some links regarding both.

http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articl ... id=1181621

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2 ... ssion.html

http://world.std.com/~halberst/articles/ipn3.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamus


Den

pssst Wulfman... go easy on him, he's a little slow (he's a doctor)

Snoredog wrote:pssst Wulfman... go easy on him, he's a little slow (he's a doctor)

Yeah, I know.....but he DID say (on page 1) that he had 3 years.....

Maybe if he gets a little less sleep and does more reading........he'll get OSA like the rest of us.

Den

Wulfman wrote:

Snoredog wrote:pssst Wulfman... go easy on him, he's a little slow (he's a doctor)

Yeah, I know.....but he DID say (on page 1) that he had 3 years.....

Maybe if he gets a little less sleep and does more reading........he'll get OSA like the rest of us.

Den

PhD "student" does not equal "doctor".

I didn't mean to fan any flames! I was just happy to see that research is making strides in finding the various causes of OSA. More information generally means better treatment at some point in time, and we all may benefit from that. And what I found means that it is possible that I am not totally off track with my belief that my airway partially collapses and causes my Apnea. Nice to know.

Split-city,

"However currently there is no protocol for patients to be screened for a sleep disorder before being diagnosed with a depressive illness."
Is this completely correct?

There are separate protocols/questionnaires for diagnosing depression and sleep apnea. I have never seen a protocol for differentiating between the two conditions.

Symptoms of depression are often listed as:
Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
A dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
Fatigue and lack of energy
Headache often associated

Patients presenting with above symptoms are often diagnosed with depression and receive a prescription for an antideppressant medication. This is routinely practiced by general/primary care physcians without referral (even for a initial consultaton) to a sleep lab or to a psychological specialist.

Sleep studies cost money.
Yes, but the cost of years of treatment of undiagnosed sleep apea with antidepressants and psychological counseling is heartbreakingly high in the USA. Hope the situation is better in Australia.

Split-city,

I see many patients who come in with OSA symptoms but the diagnostic study shows a "normal" AHI.

Does the lab use esophageal pressure monitoring to test for UARS?

Are symptomatic patients with “normal” AHI offered the option of trial treatment by auto-PAP to see if there is any improvement of their symptoms? This has been done in US with some reports of success. It’s doubtful that a person would subject themselves to PAP treatment unless they experienced some significant benefit.

Wulfman wrote:

split_city wrote:My point exactly.....keep ignoring the questions at hand. You obviously were pretty proud of yourself when posting negative comments earlier in this thread. I have been informed that this is not uncommon for you. Perhaps you should think before posting similar comments next time.

I'm kinda confused as to WHAT the "questions at hand" really are.

Den

This was aimed at Snoredog. He was quite happy to have a at go at my work because he believes that the flopping back of the tongue is the only cause of OSA. However, I have said many times that there are several potential causes of OSA and there was a quote from David White that talked about these causes. I simply asked Snoredog to make a comment about this considering what he believes. However, Snoredog keeps ignoring it which suggests two things 1) he has no response or 2) he knows he stuffed up and chooses to move on quickly from it

Snoredog wrote:pssst Wulfman... go easy on him, he's a little slow (he's a doctor)

What's your qualifications Snoredog? Are you actually out there conducting research in the field of OSA? Or is chatting in an internet forum your only qualification?

Calling me slow hey? Who's the one who is yet to answer my question?

Wulfman wrote:

Snoredog wrote:pssst Wulfman... go easy on him, he's a little slow (he's a doctor)

Yeah, I know.....but he DID say (on page 1) that he had 3 years.....

Maybe if he gets a little less sleep and does more reading........he'll get OSA like the rest of us.

Den

I'm in my 3rd year of my PhD. I did a year of Honours and also a full year project in my last year of my undergraduate degree. Both of these years were working in the field of sleep research. So we'll bump that up to about 4.5-5 years of research in the field of sleep.

Bamalady wrote:I didn't mean to fan any flames! I was just happy to see that research is making strides in finding the various causes of OSA. More information generally means better treatment at some point in time, and we all may benefit from that. And what I found means that it is possible that I am not totally off track with my belief that my airway partially collapses and causes my Apnea. Nice to know.

You didn't fan any flames . Snoredog just thinks he's better than everybody else. He obviously knows everything so I have no idea why there are any sleep physicians or researchers out there with him around.

Anonymous wrote: Split-city,

I see many patients who come in with OSA symptoms but the diagnostic study shows a "normal" AHI.

Does the lab use esophageal pressure monitoring to test for UARS?

Generally no. However, I do know it can and has been done in the past. I don't know the % of diagnostics studies which use an esophageal catheter.

Anonymous wrote: Are symptomatic patients with “normal” AHI offered the option of trial treatment by auto-PAP to see if there is any improvement of their symptoms? This has been done in US with some reports of success. It’s doubtful that a person would subject themselves to PAP treatment unless they experienced some significant benefit.

Not that I'm aware of (however, I could be wrong). I think the physicians continue to work with the patient to determine the underlying cause of their sleep disorder before automatically trialing them an APAP machine. But again, I really can't answer this because this it's more clinically orientated.

split-city -

Why do you only post to your own thread?

If you are all so knowing of sleep research, why do you not share your knowledge by helping other PAPers instead of trying to set a record for the longest thread posted to and replied to by the same person? Did you know that 94% (45 out of 48 ) of your replies so far have been to your own single post? What is your mission in being a member of this forum?

No, I'm not an Honours student or a sleep researcher and I'm not here on this forum to edge other members into a flame war but why are you?

You know, I actually don't even know why I am posting to your attention

Hmmm ... Oh well, never mind

DreamStalker wrote: split-city -

Why do you only post to your own thread?

People have been asking questions in here. I'll answer them when I can

DreamStalker wrote:If you are all so knowing of sleep research, why do you not share your knowledge by helping other PAPers instead of trying to set a record for the longest thread posted to and replied to by the same person? Did you know that 94% (45 out of 48 ) of your replies so far have been to your own single post? What is your mission in being a member of this forum?

Once again, I have been replying to questions asked by members. I have not been in this forum for long but I will get around to answering in other posts. However, you must remember that I deal with the physiological aspects of OSA and not the clinical aspects of it. Therefore, I will have limited input into the clinical side of things.

My initial goal was to let OSA patients know what kind of research is being conducted and to answer questions relating to the pathophysiological issues behing OSA. Sleep disorders is an area which hasn't been extensively portrayed in the media.

DreamStalker wrote: No, I'm not an Honours student or a sleep researcher and I'm not here on this forum to edge other members into a flame war but why are you?

My intent was not to get into a flame war. I was warned early about Snoredog. I should have been more mature and let Snoredog go about his merry way. If he wants to continue to be immature, that's his choice. Goodluck to him

DreamStalker wrote: You know, I actually don't even know why I am posting to your attention

Hmmm ... Oh well, never mind

I apologise and will move on from this . All my negative comments were directed at Snoredog and I apologise if they affected others in this forum

Slpit-city,

Ok, if you had funding and freedom, on what areas would you be focused?
For example iwould love to see more research into neurotransmitters that control respiration.