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Q: As Head of Assembly 4, what are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?
As we know healthy sleep is included among the eight requirements for a healthy life and for cardiometabolic health. Sleep disordered breathing affects 9 – 13 % of the population and has therefore major health impact. We are facing huge proceedings in our understanding of pathophysiology and consequences, but also new diagnostic challenges utilising new technologies, AI, and therapeutical options for sleep disordered breathing. Digital modalities are having great impact in our field as well, from diagnosis to treatment, follow-up, and patient reported outcome measures. I am excited to discuss these aspects with clinicians and scientists from all over the world.
Q: What in your opinion will be the hot topics for sleep disordered breathing?
Sleep disordered breathing is closely associated with respiratory diseases, circulation and the implementation of new technologies utilising AI and machine learning towards personalised patient care.
The State of the Art sessions offer the latest findings of the new international guidelines and clinical trials on non-continuous positive airway pressure therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea and treatment of obesity hypoventilation syndrome; to present how the resulting treatment recommendations can be implemented in various settings and also the latest findings will be presented on sleep-associated breathing disorders in patients with obstructive (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) and restrictive (obesity, neuromuscular and chest wall diseases and interstitial lung diseases) ventilation disorders.
Additionally in various important symposia will be discussed the application of machine learning tools for improved diagnostic accuracy and describe the development of novel applications in diagnostic tools and technologies for sleep-disordered breathing that are directed towards improved patient participation in personalized care, the pathophysiological mechanisms and novel markers of the vascular sequelae of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) in different vascular beds and different populations including children.
A very interesting debate will also take place related to if the use of new technologies and limited channel sleep devices are beneficial in the diagnosis of suspected sleep apnoea and a Meet the expert session will try to address the role of CPAP therapy in cardiovascular primary and secondary prevention and what we have learnt from RCTs and real world data.
Last but not least there are numerous poster and oral presentation session in which important research findings will be discussed between our ECM’s and worldwide experts and collaborations and networking hopefully will be promoted.
Q: Tell us your top three picks from the Congress programme?
1. State of the art session – Sleep and breathing disorders (in various Respiratory diseases and the implementation of Non-CPAP therapies for OSA)
Monday, 9 September, 13:45–15:15 CEST
2. Pro/con debate – Is the use of new technologies and limited channel sleep devices are beneficial in the diagnosis of suspected sleep apnoea
Monday, 9 September, 11:35–12:20 CEST
3. Symposium: Novel diagnostic approaches to sleep disordered breathing and translation to personalised patient care
Sunday, 8 September, 15:30–17:15 CEST