Free state-of-the-science webinar will be held Monday, Sept. 15

DARIEN, IL – The Sleep Research Society Foundation is hosting the state-of-the-science webinar,
“The Future of OSA Treatment,” from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 15. Registration for the webinar is free.

While continuous positive airway pressure therapy continues to be a first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnea, there is growing interest in pharmacotherapy and other therapeutic procedures and devices. Expert panelists will discuss the data on CPAP and explore the use of medications for sleep apnea as either a second-line or adjunctive therapy. The webinar will also review other advances in sleep apnea therapeutics and address the management of diagnostic and serial testing.

“CPAP treatment began with a simple but audacious idea that transformed the household vacuum cleaner into life-altering therapy,” said Philip Cheng, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and is president of the SRS Foundation. “Since then, innovations in sleep apnea treatment have only grown, and we are now poised for breakthroughs that will revolutionize patient care.”

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder that involves the repeated collapse of the upper airway during sleep. A new prospective modelling study predicts a significant rise in its prevalence over the next three decades, suggesting that more than 76 million adults in the U.S. will have sleep apnea in 2050. A previous study estimated that nearly one billion adults worldwide could have obstructive sleep apnea.

“It is an exciting time for the topic of sleep apnea,” said Dr. Atul Malhotra, chair of the webinar and a member of the SRS Foundation board of directors. “We have never had better evidence for the benefits of CPAP, but at the same time, we are getting strong data for alternative therapies. Advances in diagnostics and therapeutics are ongoing for patients and increasing awareness about the consequences of sleep apnea.”

In addition to Malhotra, the panel of speakers will comprise:

  • Dr. Reena Mehra from University of Washington Medicine in Seattle
  • Dr. Anne Marie Morse from the Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Neomi Shah from the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City

“Reflecting on our young field of sleep medicine and its humble beginnings in the 1970s, it is incredible to think that the treatment for obstructive sleep apnea was essentially tracheostomy,” said Morse, a former member of the SRS Foundation board of directors. “Few were clamoring to be diagnosed irrespective of their symptoms. The 1980s then brought on wigwams, big hair, and CPAP, but since this time it has felt like an everlasting pursuit to achieve optimal PAP pressures and adherence. Now is an incredible time where we have an increasing array of diagnostics and therapeutic solutions available that help us to meet more people where they are living with sleep apnea.”

SRS Foundation state-of-the-science webinars are made possible by corporate sponsors Lilly, Inspire Medical Systems, Nox Medical, Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Resmed, SleepImage, Wesper, and Natus Medical.

Learn more and register for the webinar at https://sleepresearchsociety.org/foundation/state-of-the-science/.   

To arrange an interview or for more information about the SRS Foundation, please send an email to foundation@srsnet.org.  

About the Sleep Research Society Foundation

As the funding arm of the Sleep Research Society, the SRS Foundation provides support for the advancement of the field of sleep and circadian research through education and funding opportunities. These award and grant programs provide SRS members with the opportunity to conduct research that forms the basis of more comprehensive applications to federal agencies, private foundations, and industry partners. Visit us at sleepresearchsociety.org/foundation.

About the Sleep Research Society

The SRS is a professional membership society that advances sleep and circadian science. The SRS serves its members and the field of sleep and circadian research through training and education, and by providing forums for the collaboration and exchange of ideas. The SRS facilitates its goals through scientific meetings and trainee specific programming, and by advocating for federal sleep and circadian research funding. The SRS also publishes the peer-reviewed, scientific journals Sleep and Sleep Advances. Learn more at sleepresearchsociety.org.