Sleep apnea and the eternal city

Every three years thought leaders in the field of sleep medicine gather to share their research and new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea - the World Congress on Sleep Apnea.

Clinicians and researchers from all the medical disciplines associated with the condition will be present for a week-long series of lectures, symposia and poster sessions.

Under the leadership of Dr. Christian Guilleminault, the next meeting will be in Rome, Italy in late August of 2012.

The chair of the organizing committee is Prof Mario Fabiani from the University of Rome.

The American Sleep Apnea Association is one of the supporting institutions and we will be actively promoting the event. Click here for the event web site.

Readers of this blog know that I attended the 2006 World Congress on Sleep Apnea held in Montreal. I am still hoping to bring together representatives from other sleep apnea patients groups for a parallel meeting.

Stayed tuned... more to come.

Sleep apnea in prime time

What do the television programs “Men of a Certain Age,” “Mike & Molly,” and the recently released film “Hall Pass” have in common? Obstructive sleep apnea. Principal characters in each are seen with a CPAP device. There are probably other TV shows and movies where the ubiquitous device is present, but those three come to mind quickly.

In the episode where the machine appears in “Mike & Molly,” Mike is rather matter of fact about using it and Molly is a bit put off. The laugh track rolls when she is frustrated by the fact that Mike’s mouth keeps coming open. (Where is the chin strap when you need it?)

While some people will find these representations somewhat offensive because the person wearing the mask is the object of ridicule, I have a different spin on sleep apnea portrayed on the big and little screen.

The creators/writers of “Mike & Molly”—there is probably an apneic among them—understand some portion of the viewers of the program use a CPAP, or sleeps with someone who does, or knows someone (maybe many) who are either users or partners of a CPAP user.

The use of the CPAP has become so commonplace that we can laugh about the foibles of using the device. The humor comes from “getting it” and not from thinking the wearer looks silly.

I continue to be amazed at how this condition is becoming part of everyday life—at least for some people. The challenge for me and the association is make it part of everyday life for most people.

I am ready for my close- up, Mr. DeMille....