New Study suggests that Compression Stockings may be able to help with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

For some people snoring is a serious condition rather than just an irritating habit.  This condition is called sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). 

Sleep apnea is characterized by repeated disruptions or actual stopping of breathing during sleep, which can be 10 seconds or more at a time. 

The interruption of the breathing is caused by a relaxing of the muscles in the throat to the point where they block the airway completely while the individual is sleeping.  The result is a frequently disrupted and shallow sleep.

Different treatment options are available depending on the specific cause of the sleep apnea.  The most common treatment for people with obstructive sleep apnea is best known as CPAP, which stands for continuous positive airway pressure machines.  This treatment requires the patient to wear a mask all night long and unfortunately some patients refuse to comply, often with serious health consequences.

Earlier studies determined a high correlation between the volume of fluid that shifts from the legs into the neck during the night and the occurrence of obstructive sleep apnea.

The above referenced recent study was aimed at exploring the potential benefit of more simple measures such as whether wearing compression stockings could be of any benefit for OSA sufferers.  The study was made possible under French sponsorship in part by a grant “Legs Poix” from the “Chancellerie de l’Université de Paris”, Paris, and by a grant from “CARDIF assistance”, Fontenay-aux- Roses.  The study was performed under the leadership of Dr. Stefania Redolfi from the University of Brescia, Italy.  The participants in the study were individuals suffering from venous insufficiency.

The current study found that wearing thigh high compression stockings during the day significantly decreased the accumulation of fluid in the legs throughout the day.

According to Dr. Stefania Redolfi, the study further confirmed that drastically less fluid accumulation in the legs throughout the day considerably reduced the fluid build-up in the neck during the night. 

This in turn significantly reduced the incidences of apnea (complete interruption of breathing with no airflow) and hypopnea (very shallow breathing with reduced airflow).  Additional details can be accessed through the following release from the American Thoracic Society via Eurek Alert: Compression stockings may reduce sleep apnea in some patients

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