Nakamori Suganuma

Association of gastroesophageal reflux disease with weight gain and apnea, and their disturbance on sleep

Obesity is a common predisposition to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). By statistical analysis of the respondents to a questionnaire that was distributed to members of the Kansai Rugby Association, we examined whether weight gain increased the incidence of these diseases and whether GERD alone disturbs sleep. Prevalence distribution of GERD by age differed from another survey, which suggests that predispositions other than age may contribute to GERD. Weight gain tended to increase the incidence of GERD. In our epidemiological study, both GERD (particularly nocturnal reflux) and OSAS significantly contributed to sleep disturbance. Although GERD alone seemed to be one of several independent factors of sleep disturbance, it was not a weak factor.

Urgency Is an Independent Factor for Sleep Disturbance in Men with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

OBJECTIVES The relationship between overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, other than nocturia, and sleep, has not been fully evaluated, although a close relationship between nocturia and sleep disturbance has been reported. In the present study, we evaluated the relationship between OAB symptoms and several polysomnography (PSG) parameters in middle-age men with sleep disturbance, especially to clarify whether urgency as the hallmark symptom of an OAB is independently associated with sleep quality. METHODS A total of 32 men >40 years of age (mean age 58.0 ± 12.6), who had been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome by PSG, were included in the present study. Their OAB symptoms were evaluated using the OAB symptom score (OABSS) before PSG. The relationship between the OABSS and several parameters, such as sleeping time, sleeping efficiency, sleep latency, percentage of rapid eye movement during sleeping time, and apnea/hypopnea index obtained from PSG, was evaluated. RESULTS Multivariate analysis showed that only sleeping efficiency was an influencing factor on the total OABSS. Of the 4 subscores of OABSS, including frequency, nocturia, urgency, and urgency incontinence, multivariate analysis showed that the subscores of nocturia and urgency were independent influencing factors on sleeping efficiency. Nocturia correlated negatively with sleeping efficiency (Pearsons correlation 0.533, P <.01), and urgency also correlated negatively with sleeping efficiency (Pearsons correlation 0.492, P <.01). CONCLUSIONS We found that urgency and nocturia were factors that independently affected sleep or were affected by sleep quality, although only the association of nocturia with sleep disturbance has been the focus of previous studies.

Anxiety, neuroticism and oxidative stress: cross-sectional study in non-smoking college students.

Aims:  Oxidative stress has gained attention recently in psychiatric medicine and has been reported to be associated with various diseases. However, the psychosocial factors involved in oxidative stress are still not well understood. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine whether anxiety levels and neuroticism were associated with serum oxidative and anti‐oxidative status in healthy college students.

Sense of coherence, health problems, and presenteeism in Japanese university students

AIM Sense of coherence (SOC) is thought to be a major determinant in maintaining health. SOC gained attention recently in the fields of psychiatry after it was reported to be associated with a lowered risk of various health problems. However, the effect of SOC as a buffer against performance impairment caused by health problems is not well known. Thus, we aimed to examine the relationships among health problem, the degree of presenteeism (performance loss due to health problems), and SOC in adolescents. METHODS Participants were 2824 university students (1855 males, mean age; 18.35±0.84 years). SOC and self-reported health problems were assessed using an SOC scale (29 items) and the presenteeism scale for students, respectively. RESULTS SOC scores differed between students with and without health problems (t(2822)=5.75, P<0.001). The effect size (Cohens d) was 0.22 for this difference. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, male gender (odds ratio [OR]=0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.53-0.73), moderate SOC (within ±1 SD; OR=0.59; 95% CI=0.47-0.72), and high SOC (>1 SD; OR=0.43; 95% CI=0.33-0.58) were independently associated with a lower frequently of health problems. In addition, SOC showed a significant inverse correlation with presenteeism (r=-0.27, P<0.001). CONCLUSION These results suggest that application of the concept of SOC might aid in the prevention of health problems among university students. Students with a strong SOC might be less prone to a decline in performance when health problems arise.

Do depressive symptoms correlate with oxidative stress in a sample of healthy college students

Background and Objectives: Major depression and sub-threshold depressive symptoms are associated with health crisis. Oxidative stress may be a mechanism for major depression. In the present study, we examined the relationship between the degree of depressive symptoms and oxidative status using a reliable and inexpensive method that evaluates endogenous hydroperoxides. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 54 non-smoking college students and measured serum reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs) and the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) as an index of oxidative status. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The concentrations of ROMs did not differ between the lower BDI group (BDI < 14) and the higher BDI group (BDI ≥ 14) (282.7 ± 59.84 U.CARR vs 307.7 ± 67.51 U.CARR, z = -1.19, P = 0.239). We did find a significant relationship between ROM concentration values and higher BDI scores (rho = 0.30, P = 0.042). BAP levels in the higher BDI group were not significantly greater than those in the lower BDI group (z = -0.108, P = 0.287). There was no significant correlation between BAP and depressive symptoms (rho = 0.22, P = 0.140). Moreover, we conducted a multiple regression analysis to control for gender difference and difference in sleep perception of the previous night between the two BDI groups. However, depressive symptoms were not significantly predicted by ROM concentrations (β = 0.28, P = 0.076). Conclusions: While results of the present study demonstrated a slight correlation between depressive symptoms and oxidative stress, this linkage could not be confirmed after controlling for significant confounding factors. This result should be verified in a larger sample.

Three components of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome

Abstract The aims of this study were to calculate the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), which represented as the number of apnea–hypopnea occurrences per hour, the 4% oxygen desaturation index (ODI4) and the breathing‐related arousal index (B‐ArI) in polysomnographic studies of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) patients and to investigate whether there was any relationship between each pair of scoring schemes. Thirty‐four cases of OSAHS were studied. Total OSAHS patients were subdivided into those with a high AHI (> 25), and those with a low AHI (< 25). The correlation between each pair of scoring schemes for OSAHS with a high AHI showed high value. The correlation between AHI and ODI4 for OSAHS with a low AHI was 0.18 and that between AHI and B‐ArI showed a weak correlation of 0.59, while that between ODI4 and B‐ArI was only −0.078. Our results mean that oxygen desaturation and arousal occur separately in mild or moderate OSAHS patients, even though they are diagnosed with the same level of OSAHS by means of AHI. Breathing‐related arousal without oxygen desaturation often occurs in mild or moderate OSAHS patients. We previously reported that AHI does not accurately reflect the severity of the increase in negativity of esophageal pressure manifested as respiratory efforts. We consider that the comprehension and assessment of OSAHS can be improved by the systematic differentiations among the three components: oxygen desaturation, arousals and respiratory efforts.

Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder

Abstract: Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is characterized by loss of normal voluntary muscle atonia during REM sleep, and is associated with excessive motor activity related to dreaming. The movements are often potentially harmful and may lead to repeated injuries to the patients and/or their bedpartners.