Live Wire

CAUSE AND EFFECT
People with obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that disrupts sleep, often suffer from acid reflux, a generally painful gastrointestinal disorder caused when the valve between the oesophagus and stomach is unable to perform its function.

But the relationship between the two ailments, if any, has remained murky. Researchers reported on evidence suggesting that reflux may contribute to the sleep apnea. The findings were presented in Baltimore to the American College of Gastroenterology.

8216;8216;We wanted look at the temporal relationship8212;sort of a chicken-and-egg question,8217;8217; said the lead author, Dr Brian P Mulhall of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.