PhotoLuminations

The effectiveness of a nighttime-breathing machine called a "CPAP" for treating obstructive sleep apnea was backed by the strongest evidence, and a mouthpiece worn at night was also shown to be effective, according to a new report funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

The misdirected debate on reforming health care gets bogged down on how much it will cost but overlooks the big picture. We should focus on the big pieces that waste the most--chronic diseases. This is where health reform can improve lives and save big money. Here's how.

Do you feel like the "man in the iron mask," a prisoner of your CPAP mask? Many people living with sleep apnea, regardless of the success of their treatment, wish they could be rid of the mask.

What are the prospects that electronic health records will improve care in chronic conditions such as diabetes or sleep apnea?

In healthcare, according to Tom Ferguson, a pioneer of patient Internet use, there are two complementary networks of connections: the medical, professional network and the patient network. A third network is needed--a network of health consumers working with healthcare providers.

Chronic conditions tend to travel together; the same person can have two or more conditions. How to manage them together?

Connected health--the use of technology to connect people to information, advice, and support-- can help consumers achieve wellness, and patients achieve better health.

What do you want to read in this newsletter? I welcome your ideas.

News about sleep apnea is welcome because it can encourage more people to seek treatment. Driving the news are reports of research that shows how dangerous sleep apnea really is, and findings that treatment does help. In addition, sleep can now be studied at home in addition to sleep centers, opening up the potential for treating many more people.

Here's an idea for action that can save you a lot of grief later in the event you lose your CPAP, or it is broken, or if you have any treatment problems.

Are you depressed, or do you just feel depressed because of untreated sleep apnea?

If I use a CPAP treatment for sleep apnea every night at home, what can I do to continue treatment when the electricity fails, I have to travel, or when I want to get away from civilization for a vacation?

[Jerry replies to a question from "Charles"] You wrote that you may have had apnea for 10 years and wonder what damage might have been done before you started treatment.

We are a nation asleep. Millions of Americans don't get enough restful sleep. If life were like a fairy tale, sleep disorders including sleep apnea would not still be a major public health problem.