Compression stockings may help OSA
05/08/2011
Sufferers of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) could benefit from wearing compression stockings before they get into bed, researchers have found.
"We found that in patients with chronic venous insufficiency, compression stockings reduced daytime fluid accumulation in the legs," explained Stefania Redolfi from the University of Brescia in Italy.
She emphasised that this led to a reduction of more than a third in the number of apnoeas and hypopnoea, which could prove beneficial to those with OSA.
Patients who wore the leg stockings for a prolonged period were found to have a 62 per cent reduction in the overnight leg fluid volume compared to when they were not wearing them.
A 36 per cent reduction in the number of apnoeas and hypopnoea was also registered for every hour of sleep.
Meanwhile, a 60 per cent reduction in neck circumference increase was found when estimating the fluid shift to the neck.
Posted by Michael Ewing
