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Americans are the fattest on planet and the
loudest snorers on earth -According to a Philadelphia doctor
PHILADELPHIA, December 18, 2006 /PRNewswire/ --
Over 65 percent of
adults over 18 are either overweight or obese according to the Census Bureau
Publication released on December 15, 2006. “During recent years, there has
been a tremendous explosion of patients diagnosed with sleep apnea, based on
a study performed at our center,” according to Dr. Mansoor Madani, Director
of the center for corrective surgery who is an Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeon in Bala Cynwyd, PA. “That places overweight people at a much higher
risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and diabetes as well as
other diseases,” adds Madani.”
One of the earliest signs of obstructive sleep apnea is snoring and stopped-breathing at night. It has been estimated that over 38,000 people die each year due to complications of apnea. “There is no question in my mind that when you are excessively overweight you have the potential for breathing problems while you sleep, the amount of oxygen delivered to your vital organs, including your heart and brain is reduced; increasing your likelihood of heart attacks and strokes,” says Madani who is internationally known as one of the pioneering surgeons in treating snoring and sleep apnea.
“Overweight people generally have a larger neck size, but narrower windpipes which puts them in a high risk factor,” according to Madani. The windpipe closes as the tongue drops backward and this is further compromised as the tissues on the roof of the mouth such the uvula block the airway when an individual sleeps. The airflow through a person’s nose and mouth is obstructed due to enlarged tissues in the back of the throat and nose. “Most snorers, however, do not realize the sleep deprivation they have because they may in fact be so tired that they think they are good sleepers,” explains Madani. “We can help to some degree by opening the upper part of the airway with laser surgery or more modern minimally invasive procedure called radioablation,” says Madani, who is writing a publication on a variety of surgical procedures to treat snoring and sleep apnea for the Clinics of North America. “Unfortunately, however, patients with more severe obstructive apnea have to lose weight or use a CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure) to pump air into their obstructed airway,” adds Madani who treats patients for these problems from all around the world.
It is estimated that about 60% of all American adults snore occasionally, and about 40 million are habitual snorers. Of those, about 27 million heavy snorers disturb their bed partners and about 12 million are diagnosed with sleep apnea.
“We have helped thousands of patients with laser surgery but we can’t cure all those who suffer from sleep apnea. We take these statistics seriously and encourage all American families to pay serious attention to their body weight.” Madani advises.
For more information, visit http://www.snorenet.com.
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