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Stories for Reprint
Sleep Apnea Linked to Fibromyalgia
By Ferdous Al-Faruque, MARRTC Staff
A recent study at the University of Pennsylvania has found that people with fibromyalgia are more likely to have sleep apnea, a disorder with which they will briefly stop breathing in their sleep.
Lan Chen, clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and principal investigator of the study, says a significant number of the 135 people with fibromyalgia they observed also had sleep apnea.
The study participants were between the ages of 20 and 84 and were recruited from local clinics. During a sleep lab, the volunteers' physical condition and sleep patterns were monitored. The study found a third of the men with fibromyalgia had sleep apnea, in comparison to a fifth of the women.
According to Chen, the study also found that sleep apnea could worsen the symptoms of fibromyalgia. She says that previous research has found that treating people with fibromyalgia for sleep apnea did improve certain symptoms such as chronic fatigue and muscular pain.
Currently, Chen and her colleagues are still following up on the participants of their study but are already noticing similar outcomes. "At this point we cannot say all symptoms will be cured by improving sleep," states Chen. But she says so far, the participants are showing improved symptoms--particularly less fatigue.
Sleep apnea treatments will vary depending on the individual and the severity of the disease. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, the most common treatment for the disorder is a nasal continuous airway pressure machine. These machines push air through the nose at high pressure to keep the airways open. There are other treatments for sleep apnea such as surgery and medication. Lifestyle changes such as giving up smoking and drinking can also help with the disorder.
According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, there are an estimated 12 million Americans with the sleep apnea. Unlike fibromyalgia, sleep apnea is more common in men, with 1 in every 25 affected. In comparison, 1 in every 50 women is affected by the disorder.
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