Apnea surgery comes in 2nd - use of dental appliance in treatment of apnia - Brief Article

A dental appliance scores higher than a painful surgical technique in treating obstructive sleep apnea, according to a study published in the journal Chest.

If you use it, that is.

People with OSA stop breathing throughout the night, leading to chronic fatigue and an increased risk of hypertension and heart disease. Researchers at the Central Hospital in Vasteras, Sweden, compared the use of a dental appliance, which boosts airflow by pushing the lower jaw forward, to a surgical procedure called uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, in which tissue is removed from the back of the throat.

"The success rate in the appliance group was 81 percent, significantly higher than in the UPPP group, [which was] 53 percent," the report concludes. Yet after four years, only 62 percent of the first group still used the device, even though they reported few side effects.

For more information on health, training, nutrition and sexuality, access www.mensfitness.com, www.fitnessonline.com or www.enutrition.com.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Weider Publications
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group