‘Sleep-impaired individuals and those with untreated sleep apnea have greater risks of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer.’
AS of May 2024, there were 39 million adults (about 1/3 of the population) in the United States who had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Out of this, only about six million had been confirmed by Sleep Studies. Roughly 80 percent with OSA never knew and had not been tested for sleep apnea.
The gold standard therapy for OSA is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). The CPAP machine pushes oxygenated air through a nasal pillow or mask into the back of the throat to keep the airway passage open using positive pressure, like inflating a balloon. This prevents the tongue from falling backward to block the airway.
Some people cannot tolerate the use of CPAP. An alternative is the implantable unit Inspire, but this requires surgery and is about only 78 percent effective compared to CPAP, which, when used properly, is effective practically 100 percent.
Medical science always aspires to find better, simpler, modes of therapy. Eli Lilly, in April 2024, announced the “early results of two Phase III trials testing its diabetes and obesity drug tirzepatide for people with both obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. This medication is expected to be available by the end of this year.
Obese individuals are more prone to having OSA, and the main target of this new drug is weight reduction, an indirect way of treating sleep apnea. Those who are not overweight and have OSA will obviously not benefit from this medication. Eli Lilly and other pharmaceutical companies are still trying to develop a drug for everyone with sleep apnea, regardless of body weight.
Insomnia and health
Sleep is vital to health. School-age children need at least 9 hours; teens, 8 to 10 hours; adults 18 to 64, 7 to 9 hours; and adults over 65, 7 to 8 hours. Insomnia and sleeping less than five hours a night are linked to increased (69 percent) incidence of heart attack. Impairment in sleep and diabetes have double the risk, compared to those without both.
Sleep-impaired individuals and those with untreated sleep apnea have greater risks of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even cancer. Meta-analysis of more than one million patients in their early 50s without a prior heart attack, and followed for 9 years, revealed the findings above. The study was posted in Clinical Cardiology and presented at the upcoming American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session/World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) in 2023.
Coffee warning
George Washington grew coffee shrubs at his Mount Vernon estate, Thomas Jefferson (drank a pound of coffee a day), Theodore Roosevelt (consumed a gallon a day), and George H. W. Bush imbibed up to 10 cups a day. Around 73 percent of people in the United States drink coffee daily, and about 80 percent drink tea. Unlike soft drinks of any kind, which “poison” our body, increasing the risk of serious metabolic syndrome, especially among children, coffee, in moderation is a healthy beverage, like tea, in slowing cognitive decline.
A new large study, however, reveals that drinking coffee more than three cups a day is linked to more rapid cognitive decline over time. Tea was not part of this study. A cup is usually 5 – 8 fluid ounces or 150 to 237 milliliters. The adverse effects include “abstract reasoning, pattern recognition, and logical thinking.” These findings of the Advent Health Research Institute in Orlando, Florida, were presented at the 2024 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
Aluminum foil: toxic
As people grow more health conscious, they are staying away from using styrofoam and plastic plates, glasses, etc. in warming food in microwave ovens, cookware made of stainless steel rather than dangerous aluminum (even Teflon-coated), which can leach into food items over time. Old vintage worn-out aluminum pots/pans/utensils can leave toxic metals in foods. Health advocates warn the public to avoid aluminum foil “like a plague” because it is a neurotoxin, which could harm the brain, suspected to contribute to Alzheimer’s dementia. The material could also increase the risk of bone disease. A study shows “about 37 percent of dialysis patients had developed aluminum-associated bone disease.” Aluminum foil can also promote lung fibrosis.
A 2012 study showed that using aluminum foil for acidic items, like tomatoes, lemon juice, spices, etc., causes the leaching of harmful aluminum compounds. The healthier, safer, alternatives: using glass storage containers, which are naturally inert (non-reactive) even for acidic food items. For cooking, ceramic dishes with a lid are excellent, and for balking, high-quality silicone bakeware is safer.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a cardiac surgeon emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, health advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 humanitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995 presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later presidential candidate Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, pugilist Muhammad Ali, David Letterman, Astronaut Gus Grissom, top educators, businessmen, and scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888.com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com
