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News: December 1, 2009
Ecstasy Users at Higher Risk of Sleep Apnea
December 1, 2009The widely used club drug ecstasy appears to increase the risk of sleep apnea, say U.S. researchers.
"People who use ecstasy need to know that this drug damages the brain and can cause immediate and dangerous problems such as sleep apnea," study author Dr. Una McCann, of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in a news release.
McCann and colleagues conducted sleep tests on 71 people who'd used ecstasy (MDMA) and 62 people who'd never used the illegal drug. Ecstasy users had a more than eight-fold increased risk of sleep apnea compared to non-users. Mild sleep apnea rates were similar in both groups (21 percent of ecstasy users and 27 percent of non-users), but only ecstasy users had moderate (13 percent) or severe (1 percent) sleep apnea.
The longer a person used ecstasy, the more sleep apnea episodes they experienced, said the researchers. They also found that ecstasy use was a greater risk factor for sleep apnea than obesity.
"Our findings may be explained by how ecstasy damages neurons related to serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is involved in sleep regulation and breathing, among other important functions," McCann said. "Sleep apnea in itself is dangerous, but it can also contribute to thinking problems in people who use ecstasy because chronic sleep disruption is known to have a negative effect on how a person functions during the daytime."
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November 11, 2009 | Treatment for Sleep Apnea Can Improve Golf GameMen with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) who received nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP or NPAP) treatments not only improved their health, but also lowered their golf handicap by as much as three strokes, according to research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual assembly of the American ...
November 10, 2009 | More Insurance Companies Are Paying For Alternative MedicineAlternative medicine which was once thought to be controversial and experimental is now gaining newfound respect within the medical community. In fact so much respect that more insurance companies are beginning to pay for alternative medicine. More and more doctors trained in Western ...
November 9, 2009 | Two Antibiotics Linked to Birth DefectsMost antibiotics used during pregnancy are safe, but researchers have found a link between two commonly prescribed drugs and birth defects. The study, part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and published in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, is the first analysis of antibiotic use in pregnancy. ...
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