An Overview of the Latest CPAP Research

Summary: Sleep is so important that lack of sleep, for whatever reason, is a big health problem. Latest research shows that it is more prevalent across the globe than had been previously reported, but because it is now known that sleep apnea affects most of the world, this will pave the way for more research and more advances in sleep, health risks and CPAP therapy.

There are over 936 million people worldwide who are in some way affected by obstructive sleep apnea. Not only is that a very large and disturbing amount of people, it’s almost 10 times as many as was previously identified in 2007. The new study was done by the World Health Organization and presented to the American Thoracic Society at their annual conference. They were able to arrive at the new number using improved technologies and underreported statistics to learn that most of us are not getting a good night’s sleep. This certainly indicates a need for greater awareness and more research on sleep apnea, and how and why people suffer from it, as well as how treatments can be improved. 

Sleep apnea means that people stop breathing when they sleep and wake themselves repeatedly in the night to breathe and be sure not to suffocate. These frequent pauses and waking lead to a lack of sleep which leads to other medical conditions. With this study also should come a different mental picture of the kind of person with sleep apnea. The stereotypical sufferer has always been an older, overweight male, but in reality, it affects people of all ages, in all health, and females as much as men. Surprisingly, however, the person with sleep apnea doesn’t even realize that they have it, which is why the need for greater research and awareness is so important.

Since poor sleep, for whatever reason, can lead to greater health complications, such as diabetes, depression, cardiovascular problems and much more, helping people with sleep apnea and being more aware of risks can help to lower medical costs and save lives. Another study looked at how CPAP therapy helped with other symptoms.

Can CPAP therapy help pre-diabetic sleep apnea sufferers? Studies are promising. In a recent study, participants who used Continuous Positive Airway Pressure to treat their obstructive sleep disorder had lower resting heart rates with an effect comparable to using beta blockers. This study can encourage those who are undiagnosed to seek treatment, as this indicates that treatment of sleep apnea with CPAP therapy can reduce cardiovascular disease in pre-diabetic patients.

CPAP therapy machines are still considered the most effective treatment for sleep apnea sufferers, but what do you know about the machines? Another recent look was done of the top market players supplying the CPAP ventilators, including: ResMed, Philips Respironics and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, just to name the top few. This guide examined the top five machines available and talked about how to choose the right one for you. Like anything, the right CPAP machine is a highly personal choice, and the better the fit, the better it will work.

Discuss the line of CPAP machines available with your therapist to be sure that you are getting the right solutions. CPAPsolutions.ca in Edmonton supplies CPAP machines from ResMed and Philips, and we are more than happy to answer your questions about the top brands that we stock and which we consider are the favourites.