The University of Warwick says its researchers are 'getting to the heart of sleep disorders'. The main problems is sleep apnoea which means 'stopping breathing during sleep'. This can occur up to 300 times in one night. The consequences include extreme daytime sleepiness, which can have major effects on personal and professional life.
Sufferers are also more likely to have high blood pressure and to die from heart attacks.
The diagnosis and assessment of the patient has until now required a complex technique known as polysomnography, for which the patient must spend the night in hospital. Heart activity alone, as measured by an ECG device, has not been regarded as an adequate means of monitoring because even healthy hearts do not have an entirely regular beat. The new technique will be faster, usable by the patient at home, and more easily interpreted by non-specialist doctors. The British Council is the United Kingdom's international organisation for educational and cultural relations. Registered in England as a Charity.