Sleep News and Research

Latest Sleep News and Research

Postmenopausal women undergoing combination hormone therapy at increased risk of heart disease: WHI confirms

New analyses from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) confirm that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause. Analyses indicate that overall a woman's risk of heart disease more than doubles within the first two years of taking combination HT.

17 Feb 2010

Fourth-quarter and full-year 2009 results announced by Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of clinical-stage products for central nervous system disorders, today announced financial and operational results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2009.

16 Feb 2010

Narcolepsy is indeed an autoimmune disorder, finds University of Lausanne study

Individuals with the sleep disorder narcolepsy suffer with excessive daytime sleepiness and attacks of muscle paralysis triggered by strong emotions (a condition known as cataplexy).

16 Feb 2010

GSMA announces important updates to Embedded Mobile initiative

The GSMA today announced several important updates to its Embedded Mobile initiative, a programme to accelerate the global adoption of wireless connectivity in a wide range of devices in key vertical markets such as consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive and utilities.

16 Feb 2010

Over 96% of SIDS cases due to known risk factors

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) continues to be the third leading cause of infant death, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), despite a decline in SIDS that is associated with a rise in safe-sleep practices for newborns and infants. A new study by Barbara M. Ostfeld, PhD and Thomas Hegyi, MD, professors in the Department of Pediatrics at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has identified that more than 96 percent of infants who died of SIDS were exposed to known risk factors, among them sleeping on their side or stomach, or exposure to tobacco smoke, and that 78 percent of SIDS cases contained multiple risk factors.

16 Feb 2010

Study shows poor sleep quality increases risk of motor vehicle accidents in adolescents

A study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that sleepiness at the wheel and poor sleep quality significantly increase the risk of motor vehicle accidents in adolescents.

15 Feb 2010

Study shows severe OSA suppresses cognitive experience of nightmare recall

A study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) report a significantly lower frequency of nightmares than patients with mild or no sleep apnea, indicating that OSA suppresses the cognitive experience of nightmare recall.

15 Feb 2010

Plagiocephaly babies need to be screened and monitored early in life for possible cognitive, motor delays

In a new study, infants averaging six months of age who exhibited positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) had lower scores than typical infants in observational tests used to evaluate cognitive and motor development. Positional or deformational plagiocephaly may occur when external forces shape an infant's skull while it is still soft and malleable, such as extended time spent lying on a hard surface or in one position. This is the first controlled study to suggest that babies who have flattened areas on the back of their heads during the first year of life may be at risk for developmental delay.

15 Feb 2010

Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders

Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders for alleviating symptoms such as habit cough or unexplained sensations of difficulty breathing and for lessening a child's discomfort during medical procedures.

15 Feb 2010

Clinical research study conducted for patients with IC/PBS

A clinical research study is being conducted for patients with Interstitial Cystitis/Painful Bladder Syndrome (IC/PBS), a chronic bladder disorder characterized by intense pelvic pain, urinary frequency-urgency, and pain during sexual intimacy (www.PainfulBladderStudy.org). It is estimated that as many as 1.3 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with this disease and many more remain undiagnosed.

12 Feb 2010

Cognitive behavioral therapy effective for insomnia and chronic pain

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia significantly improved sleep for patients with chronic neck or back pain and also reduced the extent to which pain interfered with their daily functioning, according to a study by University of Rochester Medical Center researchers.

11 Feb 2010

Eczema in early childhood may influence behavior and mental health later in life

Eczema in early childhood may influence behavior and mental health later in life. This is a key finding of a prospective birth cohort study to which scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München contributed.

11 Feb 2010

Existing sleep deprivation theory challenged

What goes on in your brain when you're sleep deprived and how does it affect your ability to process information and make decisions?

11 Feb 2010

Eczema can lead to behavioral and psychological problems in children

11 Feb 2010

10th Annual Spring Meeting of ESC on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professionals

Geneva, situated at the heart of Europe, provides a fitting setting for the 10th Annual Spring Meeting of the European Society of Cardiology Council (ESC) on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professionals (CCNAP), 12 - 13 March 2010, with its special theme: "Uniting to Improve Cardiovascular Practice".

11 Feb 2010

Top ten myths about sex

Boston Medical Group, a national physician network specializing in the treatment of erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation, today released ten of the top myths surrounding sex. From which gender spends the most time fantasizing to whether size really matters, the list covers some of the common misconceptions about time spent between the sheets.

10 Feb 2010

sanofi-aventis reports 2009 fourth-quarter and full-year net earnings

Commenting on the Group's 2009 performance, sanofi-aventis Chief Executive Officer Christopher A. Viehbacher said, "2009 was the first year of implementation of our new strategy. Major steps have already been achieved in strengthening our growth platforms and reinforcing our R&D pipeline while delivering a double-digit EPS(1) growth".

10 Feb 2010

Exposure to unhealthy food commercials linked to childhood obesity

The association between television viewing and childhood obesity is directly related to children's exposure to commercials that advertise unhealthy foods, according to a new UCLA School of Public Health study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

10 Feb 2010

USPTO awards Transcept Pharmaceuticals patent covering Intermezzo's composition and usage method

Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the first patent covering the composition and method of use of Intermezzo® (zolpidem tartrate sublingual tablet), the lead Transcept product candidate, has been issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

10 Feb 2010

GA²LEN and EAACI warn: Older antihistamines in OTC allergy medications may be hazardous

A joint GA²LEN /EAACI report to be published in "Allergy" and available online on 8 February reviews new data on the treatment of allergies with older antihistamines compared with newer, second-generation H1-antihistamines. The research was funded by GA²LEN, an EU-funded Network of Excellence.

10 Feb 2010