Can REM disorder increase chances of Parkinson's?

DR. ROBERT ROSENBERG DR. ROBERT ROSENBERG Courier Columnist Dear Dr. Rosenberg, I am a 50-year-old man diagnosed with REM Behavior Disorder. I have been told by my doctors that people with my disorder can develop diseases like Parkinson's. How frequent is this? A: REM Behavior Disorder is a disease where those afflicted paradoxically move while dreaming. The dreams are frequently violent and can result in self-injury or injury to one's bed partner. It is estimated that 65 percent of those with the disorder will go on to develop a neurodegenerative disorder, most often of the Parkinson's type. These include Parkinson's, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and Multisystem Atrophy. The lag time from diagnosis of REM Behavior Disorder until the development of one of these disorders averages ten to twenty years. Dear Dr. Rosenberg, I am 70 years old and while a great student when I was younger, I am now having trouble learning new things. I have been taking some online finance classes and find it much harder to retain things. I do not sleep well. Could this have anything to do with it? A: Great question. There has been some recent work done by researchers at the National Institutes of Health that point to this problem as we age. It would appear that delta (deep) sleep is very important for memory. As we get older, we progressively have less delta sleep and more of the lighter stages of sleep. This may be one reason that it becomes more difficult to retain new information with advancing years. Researchers are working on ways to increase deep sleep with aging. In the future, this may no longer be a problem. Dear Dr. Rosenberg, I am on Medicare and was diagnosed with sleep apnea. I want to try one of those oral appliances. I understand that they are now approved by Medicare. Can I just go to a dentist and get one made? A: Not exactly. First, you have to find out how severe your sleep apnea is. If it is mild to moderate, you can proceed to the dentist but you will need a referral from a physician. If your sleep apnea is severe, then you must first demonstrate intolerance to CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) before you can qualify for an oral appliance. I hope this helps. Dear Dr. Rosenberg, Is it true that sleep apnea can cause damage to the heart? My husband snores like a freight train and recently his doctor told him his heart was thickened and enlarged. He does not have high blood pressure. A: The stress put on the heart by sleep apnea can negatively affect the heart muscle. During the apneas, the heart has to work much harder than normal to keep blood pumping. As a result, the muscle can become thickened and stiffer than normal. If untreated, this can result in heart failure. I would urge you and your husband to discuss his snoring with your cardiologist or primary care giver. Dr. Robert Rosenberg, board-certified sleep medicine specialist, will answer readers' questions by incorporating them in future columns. Contact him through the form at www.answersforsleep.com or via mail at the Sleep Disorders Center of Prescott Valley, 3259 N. Windsong Drive, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314.http://health.einnews.com/article/259680739/iUumr0z8h7O1JmY_