To sleep, perchance to breathe: how ResMed's treatment of sleep-disordered breathing can improve cardiovascular health

摘要

Although it appears passive, sleep is an active, vital process. The brain and body undergo patterned physiological changes throughout the sleep cycle that are essential for physical and mental health1. These changes, of course, are independent of conscious control. Likewise, breathing during sleep is also free of conscious control, automatically compensating for changes in physical position, activity and environment. However, for many people, breathing while asleep is not restful. Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may affect as many as 1 in 5 adults, not only disrupting the beneficial effects of undisturbed sleep, but also introducing its own detrimental effects on cardiovascular health and metabolic function2. ResMed was founded in the late 1980s to help those suffering from SDB to get a good night's sleep. As the broader impact of SDB has begun to emerge, ResMed has focused on five critical areas of public health: the impact of SDB on heart disease and the link between them; diabetes and metabolic syndrome; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other forms of respiratory failure; occupational health and safety; and perioperative care.