CNN —An implant for obstructive sleep apnea — a serious sleep malady in which breathing stops for 10 seconds to two minutes many times an hour each night — works best in people who are overweight but not severely obese, a new study found. “There’s a huge unmet need of patients that are suffering with obstructive sleep apnea and not able to tolerate CPAP,” Landsness said. nicolesy/iStockphoto/Getty ImagesAbout a third of patients have difficulty using a CPAP and may ultimately abandon the device, Landsness said. Obstructive sleep apnea is also connected to type 2 diabetes, asthma, obesity, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disease and mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. “As an alternative treatment for sleep apnea, this hypoglossal nerve stimulation surgery could revolutionize some people’s lives,” he said.

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Persons: Eric Landsness, St . Louis, ” Landsness, ”, Kristen Knutson, “, Landsness, CPAP, Brandon Peters, Mathews, ” Peters, Raj Dasgupta, Dasgupta, “ I’ve Organizations: CNN, Washington University School of Medicine, Medicare, BMI, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Food and Drug Administration, Huntington Health, Mayo Clinic, telltale Locations: St ., Chicago, Seattle, Pasadena , California