Technology

Philips India to Assist in Establishing 30 New Sleep Labs

The sleep labs offer means to evaluate sleeping patterns and to diagnose sleep disorders

Artistic impression of a sleep lab

As a global leader in sleep-related solutions, now also present in India, Philips Respironics has recently announced that it will assist hospitals and clinics across Mumbai and Delhi in establishing 30 new sleep labs by the end of 2009. These sleep labs will help physicians accurately diagnose sleep disorders, while Philips will provide technology, facilities and training. Philips aims to establish 130 sleep labs across India by the end of 2010 in partnership with healthcare institutions, doubling the total number of sleep labs available across the country.

The sleep labs offer obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and others with sleeping disorders, the means to evaluate their sleeping patterns and to diagnose their sleep disorders. A simple study known as polysomnogram or PSG is conducted on a patient in a lab setting and is painless. A sleep lab generally contains a complete diagnostic system. The patient is monitored with various sensors attached to the patient's head, chest and legs. These sensors collect data which are then used to determine the type and severity of the sleep disorder. If the patient is diagnosed with OSA, then the AHI (apnea hypopnea) index is generated which quantifies sleep apnea severity. The AHI index guides the physician regarding whether the problem is mild, moderate or severe so a treatment decision can be made.

Philips India will assist the hospitals and clinics in setting up the sleep labs by providing sleep lab equipment such as the ALICE 5 and ALICE PDX for clinical training to physicians and specialists. The equipment will also be used for training on software diagnosis and reporting to general practitioners and technicians. In addition, Philips will also assist by raising awareness of sleep disorders. These sleep labs will be named by the hospitals and physicians who own them and the new sleep labs will be located in leading hospitals and clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi.

According to the results of the Philips Sleep Survey, conducted by The Nielsen Company in November 2009, 93 per cent of Indians are sleep deprived; getting less than the eight hours of sleep they need per day. An astonishing 11 per cent of Indians took leave from work because of their lack of sleep. This survey was conducted among 56,00 respondents in the age group of 35 to 65 years across 25 cities in urban India with a population of five lakh and upwards.

Lack of sleep not only impacts the overall quality of life and productivity of a person's life, but also leads to serious health issues such as increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeats among others. If left untreated, lack of sleep and snoring could signal a more serious condition such as OSA, a condition characterised by the repeated cessation of breathing during sleep and which can potentially lead to heart disease, worsen heart failure and in rare cases even trigger heart attacks.

The Philips Sleep Survey revealed that 58 per cent of Indians felt their work suffered from lack of adequate sleep with 11 per cent actually falling asleep at work. Seventy four per cent of the respondents mentioned that they woke anywhere between 1-3 times during their sleep and the reasons for waking was to heed the call of nature (90 per cent), stress at work (15 per cent) and noises outside the home (10 per cent). Eighty seven per cent of Indians also agreed that they were aware that lack of sleep affects their health.

The survey amplifies the need for education on OSA and other sleep disorders which are not taken seriously enough among the individuals suffering from them. Sixty two per cent of those polled displayed high risk of OSA while 3.3 per cent were likely sufferers of OSA as per the sleep apnea questionnaire. The survey also uncovered a disturbing fact that 14 per cent of Indians exhibit pauses in their breathing at night, anywhere from one to more than three times per week.

EH News Bureau