Sleep apnoea and liver disease linked to low oxygen levels
A new study has found a link between obstructive sleep apnoea and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
Dr Anne-Christine Piguet and a team of researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, kept mice in low-oxygen atmospheres and found that it led to an increase in fatty deposits and inflammation in the liver.
The scientists kept the mice in low-oxygen environments for seven days and discovered that the genes which control fat synthesis were more active, while those which controlled breakdown demonstrated reduced activity.
Dr Piguet said the results, published in Clinical Science, suggest that reduced levels of oxygen can have serious effects on the body, which could encourage those with sleep apnoea to invest in home oxygen equipment to avoid the onset of liver disease.
"Hypoxia may be the link leading to accumulation of fat in the liver and to the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis," she added.
A recent study from the Karolinska Institutet, published in the British Medical Journal, suggested that losing weight can help sleep apnoea patients using home oxygen therapy improve their condition even further.
Posted by Daniel Ohio
22/12/2009 17:33:15
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