Tag: Sleeping

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Health

F.D.A. Approves Xywav, a GHB drug, for Uncommon Sleeping Dysfunction

F.D.A. Approves Xywav, a GHB drug, for Rare Sleeping Disorder

On the black market, homemade GHB — also known as liquid ecstasy, goop and G — can be bought by the capful for $5 to $25. But nightly treatments of Xyrem and Xywav cost roughly $100,000 a year. The new approval will make it much easier for hypersomnia patients to get insurance coverage for Xywav.

Many doctors and patients have never heard of idiopathic hypersomnia, Mr. Cozadd said, but Jazz will aim to change that. “There’s an educational effort that we’ll be part of,” he said, “which is really making sure there’s a better understanding among treaters and among patients of the condition and its treatment.”

The F.D.A. said its decision was significant because it is the first drug approved to treat the disorder.

“Idiopathic hypersomnia is a lifelong condition, and the approval of Xywav will be instrumental in providing treatment for symptoms such as excessive sleepiness and difficulty waking, and in effectively managing this debilitating disorder,” said Dr. Eric Bastings, deputy director of the agency’s Office of Neuroscience, in a statement.

In March, Jazz and the Hypersomnia Foundation, a patient advocacy group, began an awareness campaign — “I have IH” — which included an online survey of health care providers’ knowledge of the condition (it was low), and advertisements in Times Square.

“I never thought I’d live to see that day — it was very emotional,” said Betsy Ashcraft, the treasurer of the foundation’s board of directors, whose adult son has idiopathic hypersomnia. (Jazz paid the foundation for board members’ time consulting on the campaign, she said.)

GHB is an old drug, first synthesized by a Russian chemist in 1874. A century later, it was sold as a dietary supplement in the United States, and academic researchers began reporting that it greatly improved the nighttime sleep of people with narcolepsy and curbed their daytime attacks of paralysis, called cataplexy.

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Health

Sleeping Too Little in Center-Age Might Increase Dementia Threat, Examine Finds

Sleeping Too Little in Middle-Age May Raise Dementia Risk, Study Finds

The correlation was also whether or not people were taking sleeping pills and whether or not they had a mutation called ApoE4, which increases the likelihood of people developing Alzheimer’s disease, said Dr. Sabia.

The researchers did not find a general difference between men and women.

“The study found a modest, but I would say, somewhat important link between short sleep and risk of dementia,” said Pamela Lutsey, an adjunct professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota who was not involved in the research. “Short sleep is very common and can therefore be important on a societal level, even if it is only marginally linked to the risk of dementia. Short sleep is something that we are in control of and that you can change. “

As with other research in the field, however, the study had limitations that prevent it from being proven that inadequate sleep can lead to dementia. Most of the sleep data was self-reported, a subjective measurement that isn’t always accurate, experts said.

At one point, nearly 4,000 participants had sleep duration measured with accelerometers, and that data was consistent with their self-reported sleep times, the researchers said. However, this quantitative measurement came late in the study, when participants were around 69 years old, which made it less useful than if it had been obtained at a younger age.

In addition, most of the participants were white and better educated and healthier than the entire UK population. And when researchers rely on electronic health records to diagnose dementia, they may have missed some cases. They also couldn’t identify the exact types of dementia.

“It is always difficult to know what to draw from such studies,” wrote Robert Howard, professor of geriatric psychiatry at University College London, one of several experts who gave Nature Communications comments on the study. “Insomnia – which probably doesn’t need anything else to think about in bed,” he added, “shouldn’t worry about heading for dementia unless you fall asleep right away.”

There are compelling scientific theories about why not getting enough sleep could worsen your risk of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s. Studies have shown that cerebrospinal fluid amyloid, a protein that clumps up in plaques in Alzheimer’s disease, “increases when you are sleep deprived,” said Dr. Music. Other studies on amyloid and another Alzheimer’s protein, tau, suggest that “sleep is important in removing proteins from the brain or limiting production,” he said.

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Business

Keep Heat Sociializing Outsde? Snowsuits and Wearable Sleeping Baggage

How to Stay Warm Sociializing Outsde? Snowsuits and Wearable Sleeping Bags

Anything can include work gear – Carhartt overalls preferred by construction teams, or Aramark suits and Refrigiwear made for those who work in cold rooms for extended periods of time. Or if you go skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing, put on your gear – from old pants lying around in the back of the closet to a crisp white Verbier suit, the current bestseller from My Sunday Ski, a British brand.

Sarah Crockett, director of marketing for Backcountry.com, an outdoor apparel and gear website, reported growth across all snow categories. “The one-piece business increased by 59 percent compared to the previous year. People are trying to figure out how to stay warm and cozy, ”she said, specifically citing companies that make colorful suits, including Airblaster and Picture Organic. “The brands we carry are designed for a specific activity like backcountry riding and require technical characteristics. But that doesn’t mean they’re not great for a socially distant driveway visit either.”

(If you’re wondering how to pee in a snowsuit, Ms. Crockett says her own Burton bib has a “no-undress system,” which sounds a lot like old-school Dr. Denton pajamas. Unfortunately, not all brands have given similar priority to technical performance – “We’re working on a bathroom solution,” said Murillo of Selk’bag.

But the cold can creep in even in a snowsuit – do you remember tobogganing in childhood? Ms. Lubomirski feels it in her toes. “I only wear used shoes. I wore my 90s LL Bean boots and froze, ”she said.

The answer to staying warm when you’re not moving is what’s under your snowsuits.

Ms. Crockett, who lives in Park City, Utah, has “personal expertise to keep you warm” and is passionate about the art of shifting. For a comfortable fit, she likes a thick base layer (fleece or wool). In very cold weather, an insulator such as a thin down jacket is useful. Thin layers do not restrict movement. “You don’t walk around like the kid from the Christmas story,” she promised.

Don’t underestimate headgear. Mrs. Crockett is a fan of hoods; They completely cover the ears and protect the neck. For a game changer, throw hand and foot warmers into gloves and boots. “That’s the cherry on top,” she said.