Snorers More Likely To Develop Chronic Bronchitis

People who snore regularly are more likely to develop chronic bronchitis, according to a study published today.

Researchers at Korea University Ansan Hospital studied 4270 people (52 per cent men and 48 per cent women) starting in 2001.

Why snoring might lead to bronchitis was not clear, said the team led by Inkyung Baik.

Participants provided information on demographics, health conditions, family disease history and lifestyle, as well as details about how often they snored. They were interviewed again every two years through 2006.

During the four years of follow-up, 314 people developed chronic bronchitis.

Those who snored six to seven times a week were 68 per cent more likely to develop bronchitis than those who never snored.

Those who snored five times a week or less were 25 per cent more likely to develop bronchitis.

The association was strongest in individuals who had never smoked, who worked in the home or who were overweight.

"It has been suggested that structural or functional changes in the airway due to inflammation may cause snoring and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome," the authors wrote.

"Conversely, repeated snoring vibrations may act as mechanical stresses, leading to increased inflammatory response in the upper airway."

Further study is needed to confirm the association as the "mechanisms underlying the association between snoring and chronic bronchitis are largely unknown," the authors concluded.

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Bloodless Surgery: Safer And Cost Saving For Patients

ANI
The pioneer of transfusion-free bloodless surgery has revealed just why the technique is so beneficial, especially for patients wary of transfusions or those whose religion does not allow for it.

People such as Jehovah's Witness patients believe that accepting blood from a source other then themselves defies the scriptural teachings that their religion holds steadfast.

"Jehovah's Witness patients no longer have to die for want of blood," says Patricia Ford, MD, a hematologist/oncologist and Medical Director of the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, part of the PENN Medicine hospital network.

Dr. Ford is one of the pioneers of bloodless surgery and has been teaching its technique to doctor's around the world.

One technique a bloodless surgery can employ is called "cell salvage" in which blood lost during surgery is siphoned from the body, passed through a filter for cleaning and returned to the body.

The physician can also use it during surgery to limit blood loss and to avoid the need for transfusion of blood from sources other than the patient.

Originally developed to meet the needs of the Jehovah's Witness community, bloodless surgery is transfusion-free and is acceptable to Jehovah Witness followers because they are being reinfused with their own blood.

Bloodless surgery and medicine is a viable and life-saving option for these patients and those wary of the safety of the blood supply, and it is safe for a growing number of surgical and medical conditions, except for acute leukaemia and traumatic injury.

"Bloodless procedures have proven to be safer than blood transfusion because they help eliminate complications resulting from transfusions such as immunosuppression, infection, diseases from emerging pathogens for which our blood supply is not yet tested," said Dr. Ford.

"The hospital stay is also shorter for our bloodless patients, a cost savings for the patient and the institution," she continues.

Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia is one of the pioneering centres for bloodless medicine and surgery.

Dr. Ford likens the weeks-old blood often used for transfusions to "water from a dirty fish tank." Depleted of most of its oxygen-carrying capacity, the stored blood is not maximally beneficial to any patient.

Prior to surgery, Dr. Ford prepares patients carefully - using medicines to build red blood cells, and managing their haemoglobin count. A higher haemoglobin level lowers the risk of transfusion.

Dr. Ford has performed the largest number of successful stem cell transplants without blood transfusion of anyone in the world. Among the procedures for which Dr. Ford has prepared patients for bloodless medicine and surgery are cardiothoracic surgery; radical hysterectomies, prostatectomies, cystectomies, and repair of aneurysms, chemotherapy management, and total hip and knee surgery.

The bloodless team at Pennsylvania Hospital has saved the lives of many Jehovah's Witness patients who otherwise would not have received care.

"We see patients from all over the country who come to us for our expertise in bloodless medicine. The needs of the Jehovah's Witness community have helped us develop practices that can not only save their lives, but can also benefit the entire patient community," concluded Dr. Ford.

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