Leading Experts Agree: Lack of Knowledge About Sleep Apnoea Causes Unnecessary Casualties and Cardiovascular Complications

ResMed, a leading manufacturer in sleep and respiratory medical
equipment, initiated a roundtable discussion for leading researchers,
physicians and professors about Syndrome Z and obstructive sleep
apnoea (OSA) in connection to the European Respiratory Society's
annual congress in Stockholm. The participants agreed that an enormous
medical and clinical issue lies ahead due to lack of awareness about
OSA and a possible connection with cardiovascular disease.

"There are several studies pointing to the correlation between OSA
and the metabolic diseases. For instance, regarding hypertension, a
component of the metabolic syndrome, a recent study from our research
group shows that as many as 67 percent of patients suffering from OSA
are suffering from hypertension. We need to re-evaluate the metabolic
syndrome to include OSA, a combination called Syndrome Z," said
Professor Patrick Levy, Director of the University Sleep and
Respiratory Research Team, Inserm ERI17, University J Fourier,
Grenoble, France.

Syndrome Z is a term brought forward to explain the connection
between OSA and the conditions that together form the metabolic
syndrome. The metabolic syndrome, which affects about 25 percent of
the world's population today, includes cardiovascular risk factors
such as diabetes, abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and high blood
pressure.

OSA occurs when a person stops breathing during sleep, often in
combination with heavy snoring. Common symptoms during the day are
sleepiness, tiredness, headaches, concentration difficulties and also
tendency to depression. It is estimated that four percent of all men
between 30 to 79 years of age and two percent of all women suffer from
OSA.(1) Metabolic syndrome and OSA together may form a deadly
combination due to cardiovascular complications.

"We have an enormous medical and clinical issue ahead of us that
needs to be addressed on a wider scale," said Kaj Stenlof, head of
Sahlgrenska Obesity Center, Sahlgrenska University Hospital,
Gothenburg, Sweden.

Despite the availability of effective treatment, OSA remains an
underdiagnosed and undertreated condition, much due to a lack of
awareness among physicians as well as the general public.

"For clinical purposes it is very important to point out the
co-existence of OSA and other metabolic conditions such as diabetes,"
said Associate Professor Igor Harsch, head of the Department of
Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Erlangen, Erlangen,
Germany.

Numerous studies have proven the link between OSA and metabolic
diseases but the roundtable participants agreed that more research is
important in order to further demonstrate the exact relationship
between the different conditions.

"This is a healthcare management issue. We must convince the
authorities that it is always worth screening patients suffering from
metabolic diseases for OSA. Patients that have symptoms for OSA should
always be treated with CPAP(2) before obesity surgery is suggested,"
said Professor Helmut Teschler, head of the Department of Pneumonology
and Sleep Medicine, Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.

The experts agreed that when treating patients suffering from the
metabolic syndrome, it is highly important to take OSA into account.
Furthermore, the panel established four major issues based on the
roundtable discussion:

-- Increase awareness of OSA within the medical community and the
general population

-- Seek European Respiratory Society's assistance with increasing
awareness

-- Increase education relating to sleep disorders during medical
studies/training

-- More research on OSA, the metabolic syndrome and Syndrome Z is
needed

For more information about OSA and other cardiovascular risk
factors, please visit http://www.syndromez.com.

About ResMed

ResMed is a leading manufacturer of medical equipment for the
treatment and management of sleep-disordered breathing and other
respiratory disorders. ResMed is dedicated to developing innovative
products to improve the lives of those who suffer from these
conditions and to increasing awareness among patients and healthcare
professionals for the potentially serious health consequences of
untreated sleep-disordered breathing. For more information on ResMed,
visit www.resmed.com.

(1) Young T, Palta M, Dempsey J, Skatrud J, Weber S, Badr S. The
occurrence of sleep-disordered breathing among middle-aged adults. N
Engl J Med 1993;328:1230-5.

(2) Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) : A mask and a
device used during sleep that supplies a steady flow of air through
the nasal passages in order to prevent airway collapse