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Reclaim your right to a
peaceful night’s sleep
The ApneaLink™, from sleep specialists ResMed, provides a simple
and effective screening tool for sleep disordered breathing
London, 16 April 2007 - With National Stop Snoring Week just
around the corner, if you or your partner snores there is no better time
to tackle the problem and reclaim your right to a peaceful night’s
sleep. A home-use screening device called the ApneaLink™, available
from sleep specialists ResMed via www.osauk.org,
is a simple and effective way to indicate whether your snoring is in
fact a sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA).
At the very least, snoring can cause problems for family members who
have to endure the sometimes deafening noise throughout the night.
However, snoring can also be a sign of more serious conditions, most
commonly OSA, which remains undiagnosed among 95% of sufferers yet can
be easily treated with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP). OSA
results in fragmented sleep, impairs quality of life due to often severe
daytime sleepiness and is associated with serious conditions such as
cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes.
Dr Andrew Cummin, Director of the West London Sleep Centre at Charing
Cross Hospital said: ‘Loud snorers who are sleepy in the day may have
OSA. It’s important to diagnose symptomatic OSA because treatment with
CPAP can dramatically improve a patient’s quality of life.’
A recent survey found that even though 80% of us report snoring
regularly, or live with a partner who snores, the vast majority would
not see their GP about it. However, the ApneaLink™ can be used by
anyone - no specialist knowledge is required, it can be used in the
comfort of one’s own bed at home and, crucially, it provides accurate,
scientifically validated results.
Dr Andrew Clark, from the University of Hull, evaluated the ApneaLink™
alongside the Embletta, a diagnostic tool used in professional sleep
clinics: ‘The ApneaLink™ is a simple device that provides accurate
screening for sleep disordered breathing. It is comparable to the
Embletta in sensitivity and given that it can be used by anyone,
anywhere, it makes for a valuable tool in the diagnosis of these
disorders.’
If you feel you might be at risk of sleep disordered breathing, visit
the www.osauk.org website. Here you
can take the online Epworth Sleep Test, order the ApneaLink™ and find
information on the Sleep Apnoea Trust Association, set up to improve the
lives of sleep apnoea patients, their partners and their families. Once
you have used the ApneaLink™ for just one night, send it back to
ResMed for the results. You will then receive a letter which you can
take to your GP should you need to be fully evaluated for OSA.
Alternatively, information is also available by calling the ResMed
Centre for Healthy Sleep on 0800 917 7091. These independent centres
exist to promote awareness of OSA, its impact on an individual’s
quality of life and other health-related effects. They offer an
alternative, self-pay option to NHS services for the appropriate
diagnosis and treatment of this common sleep disorder. There are Centres
for Healthy Sleep in London, Abingdon and the Midlands, each staffed by
OSA experts and assisting patients that contact them directly or
following referral from a GP.
For further information, please contact:
Mark Chamberlain or Kristina Janke
Ash Healthcare
Sheraton House
15-19 Great Chapel Street
London W1F 8FN
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 5666
(18/4/07)
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