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Wed 11 April 2002
Re: Second
Annual Conference and
General Meeting of the Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust
Venue: The Astra Hall (Student Centre), University
College Dublin, from 10.30AM to 4.00PM
The Second Annual Conference and General Meeting of
the Irish Sleep Apnoea Trust (ISAT) will be held at The Astra Hall (Student
Centre) University College Dublin on Saturday 13th April 2002,
commencing at 10.30 AM. ISAT was established in May 2000 following an initial
exploratory meeting of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) at
St. Vincent's University Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin. The specific aims of the
Trust are to support patients with OSAS and their families, to promote improved
facilities for the investigation and management of this disorder, and to support
medical research. ISAT is a non political, non profit making charitable support
group.
In excess of 250 patients with OSAS have already pre
registered to attend the conference, which will comprise presentations on the
disorder, workshops and displays from equipment manufacturers. There will also
be an extensive ‘open forum’ where delegates may consult with a number of sleep
specialists, technicians and nurse specialists who will be in attendance. Background on Sleep Apnoea Syndrome
This syndrome affects between 2 - 4% of the adult
population in Europe, and predisposes to cardiovascular complications,
particularly hypertension. European prevalence figures indicate that there are
likely to be up to fifty thousand patients with at least some degree of the
condition in this country. The condition is associated with repetitive
obstruction of the upper airway during sleep, which impairs sleep quality, and
consequently makes the patient tired and sleepy during the daytime. This
sleepiness represents a serious risk factor for road traffic accidents and
people with untreated sleep apnoea are up to 11 times more likely to have
a traffic accident than the general public. Indeed, several EU countries,
including Britain, France, Belgium, Spain and Germany specifically preclude
patients with a significant sleep apnoea syndrome from holding a driving licence
until the condition is satisfactorily treated, usually with a nasal mask
attached to a positive air pressure pump (CPAP) which the patient wears at
night.
Additional Information/contact:
Dan Smyth
Tel: 086-605 3891
ISAT Web Site:
www.isat.ie Email:
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