New Study: Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure in Women
A
new sleep apnea study has determined that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be more harmful to women's heart health than to men's heart health. The study, published in the American Heart Association's medical journal
Circulation, found that while a large range of heart conditions are associated with OSA in both men and women, only women with OSA had a significant increase in heart conditions after researchers accounted for other risks (such as weight, blood pressure, and age).
Sleep Apnea Heart Failure Study Methods & Details
The study followed 737 men and 879 women over the course of fourteen years. All participants in the study were screened for obstructive sleep apnea and none of the participants showed signs of cardiovascular disease at the beginning of the study.
Throughout the duration of the study, the men and women were tested for their level of troponin T, a protein in the blood that is associated with cardiovascular disease. In addition, researchers tracked all instances of:
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart failure
- Death from cardiovascular disease or other causes.
Because sleep apnea is associated with other conditions that can lead to heart disease, such as obesity and diabetes, the scientists corrected for these factors when analyzing data.
Sleep Apnea Heart Failure Study Conclusions
During the 14 years of the study, 46 percent of the men and 32 percent of the women either developed heart health issues or died. Women with moderate to severe OSA had more than a 30 percent higher risk of heart problems than women without sleep apnea, while men with moderate to severe OSA did not have a higher risk for heart disease when correcting for other factors. Additionally:
- Obstructive sleep apnea was associated with increased levels of troponin T in women but not in men.
- Obstructive sleep apnea was associated with heart failure in women but not in men.
- Obstructive sleep apnea was associated with death in women but not in men.
- Obstructive sleep apnea was associated with an enlarged heart (another risk for cardiovascular disease) in women butnot in men.
The study's lead author, Dr. Amil M. Shah is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard. He stated that the study shows that obstructive sleep apnea may be more harmful to women's hearts than to men's hearts – and that even some women in the study who did not develop cardivascular disease showed signs of health conditions associated with heart failure.
Treatment For Women With Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Another one of the study's authors, Dr. Susan Redline, added that the study's conclusion "highlights the importance of sleep apnea screening and treatment for women, a group who often are not routinely screened for sleep apnea." Redline, who is a sleep specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, was referring to how women can reduce their risk of developing heart problems by getting their OSA diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
Sleep apnea is more prevalent in men – and there is a misconception that women do not suffer from the condition. We hope that this study increases awareness of OSA in women as well as awareness that untreated OSA is associated with heart health issues in women.
Sleep Apnea Treatment At Surgical Sleep Solutions
We offer a permanent surgical solution for both men and women with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. To learn more about our sleep apnea surgery, or to schedule a consultation, please call us today at (855) 560-7378. This is not a solution for all and if you are happy with your CPAP excellent, if you need help getting started to see if you suffer from sleep apnea please start by filling out our questionnaire below.
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