sleep medicine

An investigation published in JAMA Neurology concludes that obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease, according to the medical records of more than 11 million American war veterans, mainly men. The article also indicates that this risk can be reduced by early treatment with continuous positive airway pressure, suggesting intervention in sleep-disordered breathing as a strategy for preventing neurological diseases.  

Taking melatonin supplements to treat insomnia for more than a year is associated with an increased risk of heart failure—including an increase in hospitalisations and mortality—within five years of use, according to a study presented at a conference of the American Heart Association. The study compared a group of 65,000 adults diagnosed with insomnia who had a prescription for melatonin with another group who did not have a prescription for this supplement.

If the United States did not change the time twice a year, there would be a lower incidence of obesity and strokes. This is the conclusion of a study by Stanford University (USA) published in PNAS that compared how three different time policies — permanent standard time (winter), permanent daylight saving time, and biannual time changes — could affect circadian rhythms and the health of the population. By modelling light exposure, circadian impacts and health characteristics county by county, the researchers estimate that permanent standard time would prevent about 300,000 cases of stroke per year and reduce the number of people with obesity by 2.6 million, compared to biannual changes. Permanent daylight saving time would also be positive, although with a smaller impact.

Narcolepsy type 1 is a sleep disorder characterised by excessive daytime sleepiness and cataplexy - sudden loss of muscle tone. Existing treatments are based on palliation of symptoms, with moderate success. Now, an international phase 2 clinical trial, involving CEU San Pablo University and other Spanish centres, published in the journal NEJM, shows the results of a new drug targeting the cause of the disorder. Overall, the benefits appear superior and no serious adverse effects were observed. According to the authors, ‘the results are promising’ and represent ‘a very significant impact on the quality of life of these patients’.

If you're traveling to –or from– distant lands, this brief guide can help you minimize the effects of the time difference, the feared jet lag, so you can enjoy your vacation more (or go back to the routine less harshly).

Drinking alcohol and sleeping in hypobaric conditions - such as those of an aircraft cabin - could be a risk to cardiovascular health, a study warns. Researchers compared a group of 23 people sleeping in a laboratory with another group of 17 people sleeping in a high-altitude chamber, replicating conditions at about 2,400 metres above sea level. The combination of alcohol consumption and hypobaric hypoxia during the simulation "reduced sleep quality, challenged the cardiovascular system and led to extended duration of hypoxaemia," the authors state in the journal Thorax.

An increased frequency of nightmares and hallucinations may precede the onset of certain autoimmune diseases such as lupus, says a study published in the journal eClinicalMedicine. The team surveyed 676 people with lupus and 400 physicians, as well as in-depth interviews with a smaller group. Of the patients who experienced hallucinations, 61% of those with lupus and 34% of those with other rheumatic autoimmune diseases reported having more disturbing nightmares before the hallucinations. Paying more attention to these neuropsychiatric symptoms could provide an ‘early warning system’ for earlier clinical intervention, say the authors.  

Researchers at Northwestern University in the United States have studied the effect of a temporary decrease in sleep on the mood of mice. According to their results, the animals became more hyperactive and hypersexual for a few hours. In addition, the occasional lack of sleep had an antidepressant effect that lasted for a few days and is explained by an increase in the release of dopamine. The results are published in the journal Neuron.

A Swedish study has found an association between lack of sleep or poor quality sleep during adolescence and an increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life. They put the relative increased risk at 40 %. The results are published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.

Research published in the journal Hypertension has found an association between frequent naps and an increased risk of high blood pressure and stroke.