Sleep Apnea And Chronic Kidney Disease

A new sleep apnea study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Respirology, has found that those with sleep apnea have a 59 percent higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD) over four years than those who do not suffer from the sleep disorder. Specifically, sleep apnea is connected to the development of chronic kidney disease at the same rate as hypertension.

OSA Study Methods & Results

The study, titled "Association of sleep apnea with chronic kidney disease in a large cohort from Taiwan," followed 43,434 patients over the age of 20 in Taiwan from 2000 to 2010. Of the study participants, 8,687 had been diagnosed with sleep apnea and 34, 747 did not suffer from sleep apnea.

Researchers corrected for other factors, such as body mass index, diabetes, and age. They found that participants who suffered from sleep apnea were significantly more likely to become diagnosed with chronic kidney disease – about as likely as they were to be diagnosed with high blood pressure but not as likely as they were to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Understanding the Connection Between Sleep Apnea and Chronic Kidney Disease

While this is one of the first studies to take a close look at the risk of developing chronic kidney disease after being diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), past OSA studies have found that those with CKD who are on dialysis have a much higher rate of sleep apnea. Specifically, one study conducted in Japan found that 65 percent of partifipants with CKD had sleep apnea. While the exact relationship between sleep apnea and chronic kidney disease is not fully understood, scientists believe that apneas during sleep result in elevated blood pressure, renin-angiotensin activity, and oxidative stress, which may cause endothelial dysfunction. In addition, sleep apnea has also been linked with glomerular hyperfiltration, a health condition in which the filtration elements in the kidneys produce excessive amounts of protein in the urine.

Sleep Apnea Surgery For Overall Health

It seems that sleep apnea is being associated with an ever-growing number of related diseases, from obesity and high blood pressure to depression and drug addiction. At Surgical Sleep Solutions, we have found that effectively treating sleep apnea not only improve OSA symptoms, but also improves many aspects of our patients' lives and wellbeing. To learn more about our bimaxillary advancement surgery, please contact us today.