The influence of intermittent fasting on the circadian pattern of melatonin while controlling for caloric intake, energy expenditure, light exposure, and sleep schedules: A preliminary report.

AIMS: We hypothesized that if we control for food composition, caloric intake, light exposure, sleep schedule, and exercise, intermittent fasting would not influence the circadian pattern of melatonin. Therefore, we designed this study to assess the effect of intermittent fasting on the circadian pattern of melatonin. METHODS: Eight healthy volunteers with a mean age of 26.6 ± 4.9 years and body mass index of 23.7 ± 3.5 kg/m2 reported to the Sleep Disorders Center (the laboratory) on four occasions: (1) adaptation, (2) 4 weeks before Ramadan while performing Islamic intermittent fasting for 1 week (fasting outside Ramadan [FOR]), (3) 1 week before Ramadan (nonfasting baseline [BL]), and (4) during the 2nd week of Ramadan while fasting (Ramadan). The plasma levels of melatonin were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassays at 22:00, 02:00, 04:00, 06:00, and 11:00 h. The light exposure, meal composition, energy expenditure, and sleep schedules remained the same while the participants stayed at the laboratory. RESULTS: The melatonin levels followed the same circadian pattern during the three monitoring periods (BL, FOR, and Ramadan). The peak melatonin level was at 02:00 h and the trough level was at 11:00 h in all studied periods. Lower melatonin levels at 22:00 h were found during fasting compared to BL. Cosinor analysis revealed no significant changes in the acrophase of melatonin levels. CONCLUSIONS: In this preliminary report, under controlled conditions of light exposure, meal composition, energy expenditure, and sleep-wake schedules, intermittent fasting has no significant influence on the circadian pattern of melatonin.

Prevalence and Predictors of Arrhythmia in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence and types of arrhythmias in Saudi OSA patients and to identify predictors of arrhythmia in this group of patients. METHODS: This case-control study included all patients who underwent level I attended overnight polysomnography between 2009 and 2012. Electrocardiographic data collected during sleep studies of patients with and without OSA were manually reviewed. RESULTS: The study comprised 498 patients (394 OSA patients and 104 non-OSA patients (controls). The prevalence of arrhythmia in OSA patients was higher than that in the controls (26.9% vs. 11.5%; p=0.001). Comparing OSA patients and controls showed: premature atrial contraction (10.2%vs.2.9%;p=0.019), premature ventricular contraction (PVC) (19.3%vs.9.6%;p=0.02), non-isolated PVC (bi/tri/qua) 10.8%vs.2.3%;p=0.04) and atrial fibrillation (1.6%vs.0%;p=0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that, patients with OSA had twice the odds of having any cardiac arrhythmia (OR 1.91; CI 95% 1.27-3.11; p <0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with OSA had a higher prevalence of arrhythmia compared to controls, and OSA is a predictor of arrhythmia during sleep.

Prevalence of sleep-related accidents among drivers in Saudi Arabia.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of sleepy driving and sleep-related accidents (SRA) varies widely, and no data exist regarding the prevalence of sleepy driving in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the prevalence and predictors of sleepy driving, near-misses, and SRA among drivers in Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to assess sleep and driving in detail based on previously published data regarding sleepy driving. The questionnaire included 50 questions addressing socio-demographics, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), driving items, and the Berlin Questionnaire. In total, 1,219 male drivers in public places were interviewed face-to-face. RESULTS: The included drivers had a mean age of 32.4 ± 11.7 years and displayed a mean ESS score of 7.2 ± 3.8. Among these drivers, 33.1% reported at least one near-miss accident caused by sleepiness. Among those who had actual accidents, 11.6% were attributed to sleepiness. In the past six months, drivers reported the following: 25.2% reported falling asleep at least once during, driving and 20.8% had to stop driving at least once because of severe sleepiness. Young age, feeling very sleepy during driving, and having at least one near-miss accident caused by sleepiness in the past six months were the only predictors of accidents. CONCLUSION: Sleepy driving is prevalent among male drivers in Saudi Arabia. Near-miss accidents caused by sleepiness are an important risk factor for car accidents and should be considered as a strong warning signal of future accidents.

Diurnal intermittent fasting during Ramadan: the effects on leptin and ghrelin levels.

We aimed to assess the effect of Islamic intermittent fasting, during and outside of Ramadan, on plasma levels of leptin and ghrelin while controlling for several potential confounding variables. Eight healthy male volunteers with a mean age of 26.6±4.9 years reported to the sleep disorders center (SDC) at King Saud University on four occasions: 1) adaptation; 2) 4 weeks before Ramadan while performing Islamic fasting for 1 week (baseline fasting) (BLF); 3) 1 week before Ramadan (non-fasting baseline) (BL); and 4) during the second week of Ramadan while fasting. Plasma leptin and ghrelin levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunoassays at 22:00, 02:00, 04:00, 06:00, and 11:00. During BLF, there were significant reductions in plasma leptin concentrations at 22:00 and 02:00 compared with the baseline concentrations (at 22:00: 194.2±177.2 vs. 146.7±174.5; at 02:00: 203.8±189.5 vs. 168.1±178.1; p<0.05). During Ramadan, there was a significant reduction in plasma leptin levels at 22:00 (194.2±177.2 vs. 132.6±130.4, p<0.05). No significant difference in plasma ghrelin concentrations was detected during the BL, BLF, or Ramadan periods. Cosinor analyses of leptin and ghrelin plasma levels revealed no significant changes in the acrophases of the hormones during the three periods. The nocturnal reduction in plasma leptin levels during fasting may be the result of the changes in meal times during fasting.

Sleep medicine services in Saudi Arabia: The 2013 national survey.

BACKGROUND: We conducted this national survey to quantitatively assess sleep medicine services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and to identify obstacles that specialists and hospitals face, precluding the establishment of this service. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect the following: General information regarding each hospital, information regarding sleep medicine facilities (SFs), the number of beds, the number of sleep studies performed and obstacles to the establishment of SFs. The questionnaire and a cover letter explaining the study objectives were mailed and distributed by respiratory care practitioners to 32 governmental hospitals and 18 private hospitals and medical centers in the KSA. RESULTS: The survey identified 18 SFs in the KSA. The estimated per capita number of beds/year/100,000 people was 0.11 and the per capita polysomnography (PSG) rate was 18.0 PSG/year/100,000 people. The most important obstacles to the progress of sleep medicine in the KSA were a lack of trained sleep technologists and a lack of sleep medicine specialists. CONCLUSION: The sleep medicine services provided in the KSA have improved since the 2005 survey; however, these services are still below the level of service provided in developed countries. Organized efforts are needed to overcome the identified obstacles and challenges to the progress of sleep medicine in the KSA.

A comparison between the AASM 2012 and 2007 definitions for detecting hypopnea.

PURPOSE: To compare the apnea-hypopnea indices (AHIs) derived using three hypopnea definitions published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and to determine the impact of the new modifications of the definition on AHIs and the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: The study comprised 100 consecutive patients who were investigated for OSA using overnight diagnostic polysomnography (PSG). The hypopneas were scored in three passes by two certified sleep technologists; in the first pass, the hypopneas were scored using the 2007 AASM "Alternative" (H Alt) criteria. In the second pass, the hypopneas were scored using the 2007 AASM "Recommended" (H Rec) criteria. In the third pass, the hypopneas were scored according to the new AASM "2012" (H 2012) criteria. Agreement analysis of the results obtained using the three scoring criteria was performed using the Bland-Altman plot methodology. RESULTS: The studied group had a mean age of 45.5±12.6 years and a body mass index of 30.2±5.8 kg/m2. Using the H 2012, H Rec and H Alt criteria, the AHIs were 37.9±27.6, 14.8±22.4 and 29.6±27.0/h, respectively (p<0.05). The Bland-Altman analysis of the AHI demonstrated that more events were nearly always detected using the H 2012 definition. CONCLUSION: A significant difference in detecting hypopnea events exists among the H 2012, H Rec and H Alt definitions. The 2007 AASM "Recommended" definition tended to result in lower AHI than the other two definitions.

Intermittent fasting during Ramadan: does it affect sleep?

Islamic intermittent fasting is distinct from regular voluntary or experimental fasting. We hypothesised that if a regimen of a fixed sleep-wake schedule and a fixed caloric intake is followed during intermittent fasting, the effects of fasting on sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness will be minimal. Therefore, we designed this study to objectively assess the effects of Islamic intermittent fasting on sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness. Eight healthy volunteers reported to the Sleep Disorders Centre on five occasions for polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests: (1) during adaptation; (2) 3 weeks before Ramadan, after having performed Islamic fasting for 1 week (baseline fasting); (3) 1 week before Ramadan (non-fasting baseline); (4) 2 weeks into Ramadan (Ramadan); and (5) 2 weeks after Ramadan (non-fasting; Recovery). Daytime sleepiness was assessed using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the multiple sleep latency test. The participants had a mean age of 26.6 ± 4.9 years, a body mass index of 23.7 ± 3.5 kg m(-2) and an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 7.3 ± 2.7. There was no change in weight or the Epworth Sleepiness Scale in the four study periods. The rapid eye movement sleep percentage was significantly lower during fasting. There was no difference in sleep latency, non-rapid eye movement sleep percentage, arousal index and sleep efficiency. The multiple sleep latency test analysis revealed no difference in the sleep latency between the 'non-fasting baseline', 'baseline fasting', 'Ramadan' and 'Recovery' time points. Under conditions of a fixed sleep-wake schedule and a fixed caloric intake, Islamic intermittent fasting results in decreased rapid eye movement sleep with no impact on other sleep stages, the arousal index or daytime sleepiness.

Sleep medicine education and knowledge among medical students in selected Saudi Medical Schools.

BACKGROUND: Limited information is available regarding sleep medicine education worldwide. Nevertheless, medical education has been blamed for the under-recognition of sleep disorders among physicians. This study was designed to assess the knowledge of Saudi undergraduate medical students about sleep and sleep disorders and the prevalence of education on sleep medicine in medical schools as well as to identify the obstacles to providing such education. METHODS: We surveyed medical schools that were established more than 10 years ago, asking fourth- and fifth-year medical students (men and women) to participate. Seven medical schools were selected. To assess knowledge on sleep and sleep disorders, we used the Assessment of Sleep Knowledge in Medical Education (ASKME) Survey, which is a validated 30-item questionnaire. The participants were separated into two groups: those who scored ≥60% and those who scored <60%. To assess the number of teaching hours dedicated to sleep medicine in the undergraduate curricula, the organizers of the major courses on sleep disorders were contacted to obtain the curricula for those courses and to determine the obstacles to education. RESULTS: A total of 348 students completed the survey (54.9% male). Among the participants, 27.7% had a specific interest in sleep medicine. More than 80% of the study sample had rated their knowledge in sleep medicine as below average. Only 4.6% of the respondents correctly answered ≥60% of the questions. There was no difference in the scores of the respondents with regard to university, gender, grade-point average (GPA) or student academic levels. Only five universities provided data on sleep medicine education. The time spent teaching sleep medicine in the surveyed medical schools ranged from 0-8 hours with a mean of 2.6 ±2.6 hours. Identified obstacles included the following: (1) sleep medicine has a lower priority in the curriculum (53%) and (2) time constraints do not allow the incorporation of sleep medicine topics in the curriculum (47%). CONCLUSIONS: Medical students in the surveyed institutions possess poor knowledge regarding sleep medicine, which reflects the weak level of education in this field of medicine. To improve the recognition of sleep disorders among practicing physicians, medical schools must provide adequate sleep medicine education.

The effects of Ramadan fasting on sleep patterns and daytime sleepiness: An objective assessment.

BACKGROUND: Ramadan fasting and its associated lifestyle changes have been linked to changes in sleep and daytime sleepiness. This study was designed to assess the effects of Ramadan fasting on patterns of sleep and daytime sleepiness. METHODS: The SenseWear Pro Armband™ was used to assess the duration and distribution of sleep in eight Muslim and eight non-Muslim volunteers during the last week of Shaaban [baseline (BL) and the first (R1) and second (R2) weeks of Ramadan (1430 H)]. OPTALERT™ was used to assess daytime drowsiness objectively using the John Drowsiness Scale (JDS) to assess sleepiness, and a visual reaction time test was used to assess mean reaction time (MRT). RESULTS: The mean ages of Muslims and non-Muslims were 36.25 ± 4.46 and 34.75 ± 3.33 years, respectively. Although the start of work was delayed for Muslims from 0730 to 1000 hours, there was no change in working hours for non-Muslims. During Ramadan, bedtime and wake-up time were delayed, and there was a significant reduction in total sleep time for Muslims (5.91 ± 1.36 hours, 4.95 ± 1.46 hours, and 4.78 ± 1.36 hours during BL, R1, and R2, respectively, P < 0.001), but not for non-Muslims. JDS values in both Muslims and non-Muslims were normal at BL (1.70 ± 1.16 and 1.68 ± 1.07, respectively), and no changes occurred during Ramadan (R1 or R2), indicating no increase in daytime sleepiness. There were no significant changes in MRT during R1 and R2 from BL in either group. CONCLUSION: Although the sleep cycle of the studied sample shifted during Ramadan among fast observers, there was no objective evidence for increased sleepiness during fasting.

Objective assessment of drowsiness and reaction time during intermittent Ramadan fasting in young men: a case-crossover study.

BACKGROUND: Ramadan fasting and its attendant lifestyle changes induce changes in the circadian rhythm and in associated physiological and metabolic functions. Previous studies that have assessed psychomotor performance during Ramadan fasting have reported conflicting results. Therefore, we designed this study to objectively assess the effects of intermittent fasting during and outside Ramadan (to control for lifestyle changes) on drowsiness, blink total duration and mean reaction time (MRT) test while controlling for potential confounders. METHODS: Eight healthy volunteers with a mean age of 25.3 ± 2.9 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 23.4 ± 3.2 kg/m2 reported to the sleep laboratory on four occasions for polysomnography (PSG) and drowsiness and psychomotor assessments as follows: 1) adaptation; 2) 4 weeks before Ramadan while performing the Islamic fasting for 1 week (baseline fasting) (BLF); 3) 1 week before Ramadan (non-fasting baseline) (BL); and 4) during the second week of Ramadan while fasting (Ramadan). OPTALERT™ was used to objectively assess daytime drowsiness using the Johns Drowsiness Scale (JDS), and blink total duration and a visual reaction time test were used to assess MRT. RESULTS: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep percentage was significantly lower at BLF (17.7 ± 8.1%) and at Ramadan (18.6 ± 10.7%) compared with BL (25.6 ± 4.8%) (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between JDS scores and blink total duration during the two test periods in BL, BLF and Ramadan. There were no significant changes in MRT during BL, BLF and Ramadan. CONCLUSIONS: Under controlled conditions of fixed light/dark exposure, caloric intake, sleep/wake schedule and sleep quality, the Islamic intermittent fasting has no impact on drowsiness and vigilance as measured by the JDS, total blink duration and MRT.

Prevalence of symptoms and risk of sleep apnea in patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of symptoms and risk of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) among patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms. METHODS: In this case-control study, a validated Arabic version of the Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) was administered to patients admitted to King Fahd Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with cerebral aneurysms between January 2006 and July 2011 (n=53). The same questionnaire was administered to a control group comprised of patients attending primary health care clinics who were matched for age, body mass index (BMI), and gender (n=212). RESULTS: The mean age of patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms was 50.7 +/- 15.2 years, and the mean BMI was 27.9 +/- 4.8 kg/m2. In this group, 75.5% complained of snoring compared with 46.7% of the controls (p=0.000). Hypertension was present in 67.9% of cases compared with 30.2% of the controls (p=0.000). Based on the BQ scores, 60.4% of the cases were considered to be at high risk for OSA compared with 31.6% of the controls (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of OSA symptoms among patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms is very high. Almost 60% of patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms are at risk for OSA.

Sleep estimation using BodyMedia's SenseWear™ armband in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the validity of the BodyMedia's SenseWear™ Armband (BSA) device in estimating total sleep time (TST) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). METHODS: Simultaneous overnight recordings of in-laboratory polysomnography (PSG) and BSA were performed on (1) 107 OSA patients (mean age of 45.2 ± 14.3 years, mean apnea hypopnea index of 43 ± 35.7/hr and (2) 30 controls matched with OSA patients for age and body mass index. An agreement analysis between the PSG and BSA scoring results was performed using the Bland and Altman method. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in OSA patients between BSA and PSG with regard to TST, total wake time, and sleep efficiency. There was also no significant difference in the controls between BSA and PSG with regard to TST, total wake time, and sleep efficiency. Bland Altman plots showed strong agreement between TST, wake time, and sleep efficiency for both OSA and the controls. The intraclass correlation coefficients revealed perfect agreement between BSA and PSG in different levels of OSA severity and both genders. CONCLUSION: The current data suggest that BSA is a reliable method for determining sleep in patients with OSA when compared against the gold standard test (PSG). BSA can be a useful tool in determining sleep in patients with OSA and can be combined with portable sleep studies to determine TST.

Clinical and polysomnographic characteristics and response to continuous positive airway pressure therapy in obstructive sleep apnea patients with nightmares.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients with nightmares and the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy on nightmares. METHODS: Consecutive patients referred with a clinical suspicion of OSA underwent attended overnight sleep studies. OSA and nightmares were diagnosed according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) criteria, and CPAP titration was performed in accordance with the AASM guidelines. A follow-up visit was performed 3months later, and the patients with nightmares were divided into two groups: group 1 used CPAP with good compliance, whereas group 2 refused CPAP treatment and did not use other alternative treatments for OSA. RESULTS: The study included 99 patients who had been diagnosed with OSA with nightmares. Their mean age was 47.2±11.2years, and they had a mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 36.5±34.3/h. Also included were 124 patients with OSA without nightmares. The mean age of these patients was 45.4±13.9years, and they had a mean AHI of 40.2±35/h. The patients with nightmares had a significantly higher AHI during rapid eye movement sleep (REM) compared with the patients without nightmares (51.7±28.1 vs 39.8±31.9/h). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the REM-AHI and interrupted sleep at night were independent predictors of nightmares in the OSA patients. Nightmares disappeared in 91% of the patients who used CPAP compared with 36% of patients who refused to use CPAP (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Nightmares in OSA patients are associated with a higher REM-AHI. CPAP therapy results in a significant improvement in nightmare occurrence.

The relationship between sleep and wake habits and academic performance in medical students: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between the sleep/wake habits and the academic performance of medical students is insufficiently addressed in the literature. This study aimed to assess the relationship between sleep habits and sleep duration with academic performance in medical students. METHODS: This study was conducted between December 2009 and January 2010 at the College of Medicine, King Saud University, and included a systematic random sample of healthy medical students in the first (L1), second (L2) and third (L3) academic levels. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to assess demographics, sleep/wake schedule, sleep habits, and sleep duration. Daytime sleepiness was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). School performance was stratified as "excellent" (GPA ≥ 3.75/5) or "average" (GPA <3.75/5). RESULTS: The final analysis included 410 students (males: 67%). One hundred fifteen students (28%) had "excellent" performance, and 295 students (72%) had "average" performance. The "average" group had a higher ESS score and a higher percentage of students who felt sleepy during class. In contrast, the "excellent" group had an earlier bedtime and increased TST during weekdays. Subjective feeling of obtaining sufficient sleep and non-smoking were the only independent predictors of "excellent" performance. CONCLUSION: Decreased nocturnal sleep time, late bedtimes during weekdays and weekends and increased daytime sleepiness are negatively associated with academic performance in medical students.

Sleep architecture of consolidated and split sleep due to the dawn (Fajr) prayer among Muslims and its impact on daytime sleepiness.

BACKGROUND: Muslims are required to wake up early to pray (Fajr) at dawn (approximately one and one-half hours before sunrise). Some Muslims wake up to pray Fajr and then sleep until it is time to work (split sleep), whereas others sleep continuously (consolidated sleep) until work time and pray Fajr upon awakening. AIM: To objectively assess sleep architecture and daytime sleepiness in consolidated and split sleep due to the Fajr prayer. SETTING AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional, single-center observational study in eight healthy male subjects with a mean age of 32.0 ± 2.4 years. METHODS: The participants spent three nights in the Sleep Disorders Center (SDC) at King Khalid University Hospital, where they participated in the study, which included (1) a medical checkup and an adaptation night, (2) a consolidated sleep night, and (3) a split-sleep night. Polysomnography (PSG) was conducted in the SDC following the standard protocol. Participants went to bed at 11:30 PM and woke up at 7:00 AM in the consolidated sleep protocol. In the split-sleep protocol, participants went to bed at 11:30 PM, woke up at 3:30 AM for 45 minutes, went back to bed at 4:15 AM, and finally woke up at 7:45 AM. PSG was followed by a multiple sleep latency test to assess the daytime sleepiness of the participants. RESULTS: There were no differences in sleep efficiency, the distribution of sleep stages, or daytime sleepiness between the two protocols. CONCLUSION: No differences were detected in sleep architecture or daytime sleepiness in the consolidated and split-sleep schedules when the total sleep duration was maintained.

Prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVES: Studies have suggested that ethnicity and environment may influence thyroid disease. We aim in this study to determine the prevalence of thyroid disease among Saudi (Arab) patients with laboratory-diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the characteristics and predictors of thyroid disease associated with OSA. METHODS: Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free-thyroxine (FT4) levels were measured in all patients referred to the sleep disorders center for an overnight sleep study. The levels were measured within 4 weeks of the sleep study. Type I attended polysomnography (PSG) was performed for all patients. RESULTS: During the study period, 271 patients with OSA and a mean age of 48.7 ± 14.1 yr, a body mass index (BMI) of 37.7 ± 9.6 kg/m(2) and an AHI of 55.2 ± 37/hr as well as 76 non-OSA patients with a mean age of 40.8 ± 14.9 yr, a BMI of 33.7 ± 8.9 kg/m(2) and an AHI of 3.8 ± 3.1/hr underwent thyroid function tests. In the OSA patients, the prevalence of newly diagnosed clinical hypothyroidism was 0.4%, and the prevalence of newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism was 11.1%. In the non-OSA patients, the prevalence of newly diagnosed clinical hypothyroidism was 1.4%, and the prevalence of newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism was 4%. There were no cases of clinical or subclinical hyperthyroidism in the studied group. Female gender was the only predictor of clinical hypothyroidism. CONCLUSION: In the OSA patients, the prevalence of newly diagnosed clinical hypothyroidism was low; however, subclinical hypothyroidism was common among patients with OSA.

Assessment of sleep patterns, energy expenditure and circadian rhythms of skin temperature in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There is no simple and practical way to monitor sleep patterns in patients in acute care units. We designed this study to assess sleep patterns, energy expenditure and circadian rhythms of patients' skin temperature in the coronary care unit (CCU) utilizing a new portable device. MATERIAL/METHODS: The SenseWear Armband (SWA) was used to record sleep duration, distribution over 24 hr, energy expenditure and the circadian rhythms of skin temperature in 46 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) for the first 24 hr in the CCU and upon transfer to the ward. An advanced analysis was used to extract and compare data associated with the above variables in the two settings. RESULTS: Patients in the CCU had a reduced night's sleep duration (5.6 ± 2.2 hr) with more frequent and significantly shorter night sessions (p=0.015) than patients in the ward. Energy expenditure and METs (metabolic equivalents of a task) were significantly lower in the CCU than in the ward. However, the midline-estimating statistic of rhythm (MESOR) and acrophase for skin temperature did not exhibit any significant difference between the two settings. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ACS have sleep fragmentation and shorter nocturnal sleep duration in the CCU compared to the ward. On the other hand, there was no difference in the circadian rhythms of skin temperature between patients in the CCU and the general wards.

The prevalence of restless legs syndrome in adult Saudis attending primary health care.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the prevalence and severity of restless leg syndrome (RLS) among patients attending primary health care (PHC) facilities. METHODS: We interviewed 1303 consecutive patients attending PHC face-to-face using the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) criteria. We assessed the severity of RLS using the IRLSSG severity scale for RLS. RESULTS: The prevalence of RLS in our sample was 5.2% and was highest among participants between 45 and 60 years of age. The overall prevalence was roughly equal between males and females; however, RLS was more prevalent in females older than 45 years compared to males in the same age group. Eight participants (11.8%) reported mild symptoms, 29 (42.6%) moderate, 29 (42.6%) severe, and 2 (2.9%) very severe. None of the participants had been diagnosed or treated for RLS. CONCLUSION: Restless leg syndrome is common among Saudis (Arabs). Our study supports the findings of reports in other countries demonstrating that primary care physicians do not often recognize RLS.

Evaluation of the accuracy of manual and automatic scoring of a single airflow channel in patients with a high probability of obstructive sleep apnea.

BACKGROUND: ApneaLink (AL) is a single-channel type-4 device that measures airflow. A limited number of studies have assessed AL's usefulness in diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) using automated scoring alone. This study was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of AL in a selected group of people with clinical suspicion of OSA, using both automatic and manual scoring and comparing the results with those obtained for polysomnography (PSG). MATERIAL/METHODS: Simultaneous overnight recordings of in-laboratory PSG and AL were performed for 95 patients (mean age 46.3 ± 12.6 yr) with a high clinical suspicion of OSA. PSG was scored manually according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) guidelines. AL data were analyzed automatically using a manufacturer-provided computerized algorithm. Manual scoring of the AL flow signal followed the AASM guidelines for reduction in flow. RESULTS: The mean apnea hypopneas index (AHI) for PSG was 34.1 ± 32.4/hr. The AL Auto-AHI was 20.1 ± 25.2/h, and the AL Manual-AHI was 39.5 ± 30.4/h. The Pearson correlation coefficients were r=0.883 between PSG-AHI and AL Auto-AHI, and r=0.966 between PSG-AHI and AL Manual-AHI. At AHIs of 5, 10, 15, and 30, the AL Auto sensitivity/specificity was 0.79/0.68, 0.70/0.89, 0.64/0.94 and 0.63/0.98, and the AL Manual sensitivity/specificity was 1.00/0.43, 1.00/0.56, 0.98/0.58 and 1.00/0.80. CONCLUSIONS: Combining auto and manual scoring of data (automatic scoring followed by manual scoring) recorded by single-channel ApneaLink provides good diagnostic agreement with conventional PSG recordings.

Long-term follow-up of patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy treated with sodium oxybate (Xyrem).

OBJECTIVES: The clinical experience with sodium oxybate (Xyrem) in patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy is still limited, especially in children, elderly patients, and patients with concomitant obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). In this report, we describe 4 patients with narcolepsy and refractory cataplexy who were started on sodium oxybate and followed up for approximately 2 years, including an 11-year-old child and an elderly man with severe OSA. METHODS: The sodium oxybate dose was built up gradually until symptoms were controlled, adverse effects appeared, or the maximum nightly dose of 9.0 g was reached. On average, each subject underwent 4 sleep studies during follow-up after starting sodium oxybate. The nightly dose needed to control symptoms ranged from 5.0 to 9.0 g. RESULTS: Cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and sleep-onset hallucinations disappeared in all cases. In addition, daytime sleepiness decreased subjectively according to the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and objectively according to the Multiple Sleep Latency Test. Polysomnography demonstrated clear reductions in sleep latency, arousal index, and stage 1 sleep (N1). Slow-wave sleep (N3) and sleep efficiency increased with sodium oxybate treatment. Interestingly, the 11-year-old child and the elderly man with documented severe OSA on continuous positive airway pressure therapy demonstrated tolerability to sodium oxybate. Adverse effects included nausea, snoring, paresthesia, convulsion, and enuresis. However, all adverse effects disappeared after reduction of the dose. The beneficial effect of sodium oxybate persisted during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Sodium oxybate is an effective and well-tolerated medication for patients with refractory cataplexy. However, it requires special monitoring and follow-up by a specialized center. The improvement in clinical symptoms and sleep architecture seems to persist over time.