The eye-opening connection between sleep apnea and heart disease
The husband who snores so loud his wife has to elbow him in the ribs several times a night is a running joke in TV shows, cartoons and movies. But now, researchers are learning that snoring is not a laughing matter. In many cases, it’s a symptom of sleep apnea. And research has found a strong link between sleep apnea and heart disease, hypertension and stroke.
There are two kinds of sleep apnea, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Central Sleep Apnea (CSA). OSA is by far the most common. Patients with OSA will snore loudly while sleeping, and periodically stop breathing entirely. After a few moments, breathing begins again with a gasp – and so does the snoring.
Every time breathing stops, the sleeper’s oxygen levels drop. The body responds by releasing adrenaline (a stress hormone). If repeated frequently, these adrenaline rushes can lead to high blood pressure, a key risk factor in heart disease and stroke. In fact, some researchers estimate that sleep apnea, if left untreated, can multiply the risk of dying from heart disease by as much as five times.
Central Sleep Apnea is much less common and works differently; although there are several different contributing factors, doctors believe a main cause of this type of apnea is an underlying heart condition, like atrial fibrillation or heart failure.
What you can do about sleep apnea
If you think you may have OSA, the best way to know for sure is by having a sleep study done. A sleep study may be done overnight in a sleep center, or an abbreviated sleep apnea test may be done in your home if you meet certain criteria. When the test is performed in the sleep center, sensors are placed on your head, chest, leg and finger to collect data from the brain, heart rhythm, lungs and muscles. The technologist will educate you on the procedure and answer any questions you have, then collect the data while you sleep. They may also assist the physician with treatment interventions.
If you are diagnosed with OSA, your doctor may recommend using a CPAP machine while you sleep (CPAP stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). You’ll wear a mask while sleeping which creates an “air splint” in your airways, keeping them open. Custom-made mouthpieces, which pull the jaw forward, can also be used to treat some people with OSA.
Since CSA (Central Sleep Apnea) is often caused by an underlying heart condition, your sleep physician and cardiologist will work together on the appropriate treatments to improve your health outcome.
For information on other risk factors for heart disease, see “Are You at Risk for Heart Disease?”
Posted Date: 6/18/2018