Sleep & breathing = Schlaf & Atmung
-
Growing evidence has revealed that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to assess the association between glycometabolism and NAFLD in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). ⋯ There is a relationship between OSA and NAFLD, and the combination of disordered glycometabolism and intermittent hypoxia may act as a "two hit" mechanism to promote the development of NAFLD. Furthermore, intermittent hypoxia alone was an independent predictor for NAFLD in severe OSA patients.
-
Sleep patterns in critically ill patients' polysomnographic sleep studies (PSG) are severely abnormal.
-
Despite a broad range of diagnostic methods, identifying the site of obstruction in the upper respiratory tract in patients with obstructive sleep apnea is not always simple and straightforward. With regard to this problem, we present our observations about the specific shape of the epiglottis in patients with obstruction at the level of the tongue base and/or epiglottis. ⋯ In patients with obstructive sleep apnea, examinations in the awake state and drug-induced sleep endoscopy both showed that in most cases of obstruction at epiglottis and/or tongue base, the epiglottis was flat, i.e., lacking the typical anterior convexity in its upper part. We assume that the change of its shape is a result of degeneration of suspensory apparatus that maintains the shape of the epiglottis and holds it in its position. This could contribute to the better identification of patients with a narrowing at this level, and in turn to better decisions regarding the choice of the most suitable treatment.