Urology Ireland

04/12/2024

The Benefits of CPAP Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Comprehensive Overview related to urology and frailty.

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy is a widely recognized and highly effective treatment for individuals diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This condition, characterized by repeated episodes of partial or complete airway obstruction during sleep, has far-reaching effects on multiple aspects of health. CPAP therapy, once initiated, has demonstrated remarkable benefits in addressing both the immediate symptoms and long-term health risks associated with OSA.

Cardiovascular Benefits

OSA is a significant risk factor for serious cardiovascular conditions such as strokes, cardiac arrhythmias, and myocardial infarctions. CPAP therapy reduces these risks by maintaining airway patency, preventing hypoxemia, and stabilizing blood pressure. Studies have shown that regular CPAP use can:
• Lower blood pressure, particularly in individuals with resistant hypertension.
• Decrease the incidence of atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias.
• Improve heart function and reduce the risk of heart failure progression.

Metabolic Benefits

OSA has been linked to insulin resistance and the development or worsening of type 2 diabetes. CPAP therapy improves glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity by reducing the stress caused by recurrent oxygen desaturations and arousals during sleep. This benefit is particularly crucial for patients with concurrent diabetes and OSA.

Improved Quality of Life

One of the hallmark symptoms of OSA is daytime fatigue due to fragmented and poor-quality sleep. CPAP therapy significantly improves:
• Daytime alertness: Patients feel more rested and energetic, enhancing their ability to engage in daily activities.
• Cognitive function: Concentration, memory, and decision-making skills are restored, reducing the risk of errors and accidents.
• Psychological well-being: CPAP use alleviates symptoms of depression and anxiety often seen in patients with untreated OSA.

Urological Benefits: Addressing Nocturnal Polyuria

OSA has a profound impact on the urinary system, particularly in the form of nocturnal polyuria, where individuals produce excessive urine during the night. The mechanism involves:
• Negative intrathoracic pressure during apneic episodes, which increases venous return to the right heart.
• Activation of the atria, leading to the release of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a hormone with diuretic properties.
• ANP promotes nighttime diuresis, contributing to frequent awakenings to urinate.

CPAP therapy corrects this cycle by preventing the apneic episodes, normalizing ANP levels, and significantly reducing nocturnal polyuria. This improvement is particularly beneficial for elderly individuals, as it reduces sleep interruptions and enhances bladder control.

Prevention of Hip Fractures in the Elderly

Elderly patients with OSA face an increased risk of falls and hip fractures due to frequent nighttime awakenings to urinate. CPAP therapy indirectly prevents these injuries by:
• Reducing nocturia and nocturnal polyuria, minimizing the need to get out of bed at night.
• Improving sleep quality, which enhances balance, coordination, and overall mobility.

Conclusion

OSA is a multifaceted condition with far-reaching health implications. CPAP therapy is a cornerstone treatment that addresses the root cause of OSA and provides a cascade of benefits across cardiovascular, metabolic, cognitive, and urological systems. Early diagnosis and intervention with CPAP can prevent severe complications and dramatically improve patients’ quality of life. Given its broad impact, healthcare providers should advocate for timely screening and management of OSA to optimize long-term health outcomes.

Prof Syed Jaffry

14/02/2020

Your heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of the variations in time elapsed between your heartbeats, and is representative of your heart’s ability to respond to physiological and environmental stressors
A healthy heart rhythm is not perfectly even. When your heartrate is monotonously regular, your HRV will be low. Low HRV is associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) impairment, which reduces your body’s ability to cope with stressors
When your HRV is high, the intervals between heartbeats is large and irregular, and this is an indication of augmented resilience against stress. High HRV is also indicative of greater cardiovascular fitness
Research shows the parasympathetic activity of patients with ischemic heart disease is one-third lower, on average, than that of a healthy individual, and low HRV is a strong and independent predictor of mortality after an acute myocardial infarction
High blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and stress decrease your parasympathetic activity, thus raising your risk of a cardiac event. Factors that upregulate your parasympathetic nervous system and protect your heart include dietary nitrates that stimulate nitric oxide production and foods or supplements that stimulate acetylcholine production, such as eggs and other choline-rich foods

01/09/2019

Imagine instantly boosting your metabolism and then burning more fat throughout the whole day — even when you're just sitting on your duff...

Did you know there are several spices that have been shown in hundreds of scientific studies to do exactly that?

One of the most well known is cinnamon. Here's how it works...

* Controls insulin levels (which means less calories stored as fat)

* Speeds metabolism (so you burn more even at rest)

* Helps to burn belly fat (cinnamon is said to impact abdominal fat more than fat found in other parts of your body)

* Suppresses appetite (so you stay full longer)

All you need to do is add a bit of cinnamon to your daily coffee or smoothie to enjoy these powerful metabolism boosting effects...

02/06/2019

The Most Profitable Pill in Medical History Is Based on Flawed Science

Grossing about $1 trillion (that's $1,000 billion), the latest guidelines found 124 conflicts of interest with companies making the pill. Zero data from the trials is shared, and we're expected to believe everything they say.

A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-Health World,” written by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, addresses the challenges with the conventional approach of using statins for the prevention of heart disease
The difference between relative and absolute risk is an important yet poorly understood concept that helps clarify the actual benefit of any given drug or treatment. Examples are included. These hazard ratios also need to be compared against the overall mortality rate to get a clearer view of a drug’s benefit
Repatha is a new lipid-lowering medication said to reduce the rate of heart disease death and myocardial infarction by 20%, yet the overall mortality rate in the Repatha group was higher than in the placebo group
Cholesterol is found in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones (including the s*x hormones testosterone, progesterone and estrogen) and bile acids that help you digest fat
Cholesterol is important for the production of vitamin D, which is vital for optimal health. When sunlight strikes your bare skin, the cholesterol in your skin is converted into vitamin D. It also serves as insulation for your nerve cells, and is important for general brain health and cognition

27/06/2018

Daily egg appears to lower cardiovascular diseases risk

Eating an egg each day could significantly reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, researchers reported on May 21, 2018 the journal Heart.



"The present study finds that there is an association between moderate level of egg consumption (up to 1 egg/day) and a lower cardiac event rate, the authors said.



The investigators noted that prior studies have shown that associations between egg consumption and health effects are inconsistent, and most have shown insignificant associations between egg consumption and coronary heart disease or stroke.



Researchers from China and the UK led by Professor Liming Li and Dr Canqing Yu from the School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, evaluated data from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, an ongoing prospective study of 512,891 adults aged 30 to 79 from 10 different geographical areas in China.



The subjects were recruited between 2004-2008. Among other things, they were asked about their egg consumption. They were tracked to determine morbidity and mortality.



The investigators in this study focused on 416,213 subjects who were, at baseline, free of prior cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes.

Median follow-up was 8.9 years.



They documented 83,977 cases of CVD and 9,985 CVD deaths, as well as 5,103 major coronary events.



At baseline, 13.1% of subjects reported daily egg consumption (usual amount 0.76 egg/day) and 9.1% reported never or rare consumption (usual amount 0.29 egg/day).



Daily egg consumption associated with a lower risk of CVD overall. Specifically, daily egg consumption (up to one egg/day) correlated to a 26% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke, a 28% lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke death and an 18% lower risk of CVD death.



Also, the investigators found a 12% reduction in risk of ischemic heart disease among subjects consuming eggs daily (estimated amount 5.32 eggs/week) compared with the 'never/rarely' consumers (2.03 eggs/week).



The investigators noted that this was is observational study, and no final conclusions can be drawn from it about cause and effect. But they also noted that the study had a large set of subjects and it took into account established and potential risk factors for CVD.



“Our findings contribute scientific evidence to the dietary guidelines with regard to egg consumption for the healthy Chinese adult," they concluded.

24/06/2018

16/06/2018

25/05/2018

https://youtu.be/10jNZleNH9w
How fasting is scientific

Take Dr. Berg's Free Intermittent Fasting Mini-Course: https://www.drberg.com/how-to-do-intermittent-fasting Take Dr. Berg's Free Keto Mini-Course: http://px...

07/05/2018

Baking Soda — An Inexpensive Treatment Aid

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO3) has a number of medicinal uses and benefits. It’s commonly known to have alkalinizing, antacid and electrolyte replacement properties
Studies have shown drinking baking soda solution can help pregnant women who are having a slow or difficult labor to avoid C-sections in about 20 percent of cases by neutralizing acid in the womb
Research funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests baking soda may be a safe and effective treatment for autoimmune diseases by priming your immune system against inflammation
The data suggests drinking baking soda infused water activates an anti-inflammatory pathway that is mediated by the neuronal-like function of mesothelial cells that line your internal organs
Baking soda is also useful against other aches and pains, including heartburn and ulcer pain, and may enhance sports performance (a strategy known as soda doping)

06/05/2018

Proper hydration is not simply infusing your body with water. More specifically, it’s about getting the water inside your cells. To do that, you need to improve the electrical charges across your cellular membranes
Water is the ultimate mechanism by which you remove toxins and naturally-produced oxidants from your body. Dehydration raises your risk of disease and death, while being well-hydrated on a cellular level slows down and even reverses biological aging
Strategies that improve the electrical charge across your membranes include taking terrahydrite humic compounds, reducing EMF exposure, increasing electrolytes and boosting your fiber intake
In a dehydrated state, you accumulate toxins due to a lack of electrical energy flow. When you add in exposure to wireless technologies that output high amounts of electrical resonance, your already disconnected cells become prone to resonating to the wrong frequency
Virtually everyone is dehydrated to some extent. Your hydration level can be assessed by measuring your phase angle. A phase angle of 10 is indicative of ideal health, while death occurs around 3.5

21/04/2018

Tests reveal bottled water contains nearly twice as many microplastic particles per liter as tap water. The contamination is thought to originate from the manufacturing process of the bottles and caps
Researchers tested 259 bottles of 11 popular bottled water brands for the presence of microscopic plastic. On average, the bottled water tested contained 325 pieces of microplastic per liter
Only 17 of 259 bottles were found to be free of microplastic particles, and none of the brands tested consistently free of plastic contaminants. The worst offender was Nestlé Pure Life, the most contaminated sample of which contained 10,390 particles per liter
In response to these findings, the World Health Organization has vowed to launch a safety review to assess the potential short- and long-term health risks of consuming microplastic in water
A report by the U.K. Government Office for Science warns plastic debris littering the world’s oceans — 70 percent of which does not biodegrade — is likely to triple by 2025 unless radical steps are taken to curb pollution