Screen for Obstructive Sleep Apnea Before Surgery
According to a new study in Anesthesiology, diagnosed and treated patients with obstructive sleep apnea are less prone to develop serious cardiovascular complications after surgery. 
The most noticable signs of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are snoring, daytime sleepiness and high blood pressure. The latter is because OSA is said to be the number one cause of secondary hypertension, when high blood pressure is the result of a disease.
It is said that 25% of surgical patients may have obstructive sleep apnea, a sleep-related breathing disorder when the throat muscles ocasionally relax and block the airway, causing bloos oxygen desaturation and short awekaning during the night. If obstructive sleep apnea is diagnosed at least 5 such episodes are recognized per hour of sleep.
Anyone can develop obstructive sleep apnea but middel-aged or older males with central fat distribution are at the highest risk.
Obstructive sleep apnea affects millions, but most cases go undiagnosed.
Diagnosing OSA
Diagnostic protocols require patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea to be referred to fully equipped sleep labs where polysomnography is carried out to monitor your heart, lung, brain activity, arm and leg movements and blood oxygen levels.
However, sleep lab test which may not be available either in a necessary time range or in a nearby institute. For this cases Meditech apneABP may offer a convenient and inexpensive solution for pre-screening obstructive sleep apnea.
Meditech apneABP combines 24-hour blood pressure monitoring to reveal hypertension with pulse oximetry to monitor blood oxygen saturation and actigraphy. Brachial and finger pulse waveforms and brachial pulse transition times for a better insight on arterial wall elasticity status are also available.
Having a Pet May Have a Blood Pressure Lowering Effect
Evidence shows that pet, especially dog ownership can reduce cardiovascular risks.
Researchers say that heart attack patients who have pets survive longer and male pet owners have less sign of heart disease. But there are several other advantages of pet ownership.
Blood Pressure Reduction
A recent study showed that stockbrokers with hypertension, had lower blood pressure after adopting a pet. Researchers don't know the reason, but it is assumed that having someone on your side you can always and unconditionally count on psychologically creates a calming atmosphere.
More Active Life
Dogs have special benefits here, as dog owners get more physical activity. Dog walking is linked to lower obesity.
The Feeling of Unconditional Support and Love
Deep social connections, having reliable friends, family and community around us, protect our health. As a pet gives unconditional support and love, it also contribute to protect your heart and to lower your cardiovascular risk factors.
Less Risk of Allergies and Asthma
A growing number of evidence shows that kids growing up in a home with furred animals will have less risk of allergies and asthma.
Escaping from Social Isolation
Dogs are great for making love connections.
Having been manufacturing PC-based ambulatory blood pressure and ECG devices since 1990, Meditech is committed to lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Strange Facts about Hypertension
Did you know?
There are significant differences in the mechanism that cause high blood pressure in women compared to men. High blood pressure is more common in men before the age of 50, however, after the age of 55, high blood pressure is more common among women then men. Also, women have lower complication risks than man between 40 and 70.
The reasons are partly unknown or still researched. Some studies found that women have higher heart pump output and lower blood vessel resistance than men in their older age.
|
Race |
Men % |
Women % |
|
African Americans |
43.0 |
45.7 |
|
Mexican Americans |
27.8 |
28.9 |
|
Whites |
33.9 |
31.3 |
|
All |
34.1 |
32.7 |
Ethnicity can be a factor in developing high blood pressure and also in the effectivenes of medications. Blacks develop high blood pressure more often and at earlier age than whites and Hispanics do.
African Americans, for example, are more responsive to drugs classified as calcium channel blockers than those in the angiotension inhibitor category.
Lower blood pressure does not always reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular events like heart attack, heart failure and stroke. Click here to read more about this.
Meditech is one of the leading manufacturers in the areas of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring which makes it possible to avoid white-coat hypertension and to monitor the patient's blood pressure over a 24-hour period, even at nighttime.
Pulmonary Hypertension & Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for pulmonary hypertension, which is present in 17 to 50% of OSA patients. Obstructive sleep apnea mediated pulmonary hypertension has downstream effects on the right ventricle and leads to right ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement) or diminished right ventricular contracility.
What is Pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is defined as an increased pressure (> 25mmHg by right heart catheterization or > 40mmHg by echocardiography) in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea? 
Obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by obstructive episodes with signs of disturbed sleep, such as snoring or restlessness. Sleep-disordered breathing is defined as > 5 apneic episodes in each hour. The prevelance of obstructive sleep apnea in a middle-aged population is 4-5% and its strongest risk factor is obesity: 40% of the obese are diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea.
Screening for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Diagnostic protocols require patients with suspected OSA to be referred to fully equipped sleep labs which may not be available either in a convenient time range or in a nearby institure.
Meditech now offers apneABP an effective and cost-effective screening method.
Meditech apneABP combines ambulatory blood pressure, pulse oximetry and actigraphy monitoring in one easy-to-use device, so it can almost be considered as a miniature ambulatory sleep lab.
Year-End Sales - Holter ABPM with free ECG
Make benefit from our year-end promotion until inventory lasts!
Package 1: CardioTens – ABPM Holter with Free ECG
Buy the multifunctional CardioTens for the price of a traditional ABPM and get ECG functions for the complex cardiovascular monitoring free of charge!
CardioTens is a combined Holter blood pressure and 2-channel ECG monitor with 24-hour ST and heart rate profile, automatic ECG beat distribution, complex time and frequency domain HRV and quick reporting functions.
Package 2: CardioBlue24 – 2 Holter ECGs for the Price of 1
Buy 1 ECG Holter and get the other device free of charge!
CardioBlue24 is a small, 1 – 5 channel Holter ECG monitor with Bluetooth communication, automatic beat distribution, complex ST, time and frequency domain HRV and quick reporting functions.
If you are at MEDICA fair in Dusseldorf, Germany between 12 and 15 November this year, stop by Meditech stand 9B78 to receive more information about other benefitial partner packages!