Sleep Apnea & Heart Disease: What You Need to Know
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the
leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States. This extremely common and serious health issue is often found in patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), though doctors and researchers are still trying to fully understand the relationship between the two diseases.
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease, commonly known as heart disease, is a general term for general health conditions related to the heart. Most of these conditions are due to arteries that are blocked or narrowed by plaque. Cardiovascular disease is often associated with:
- high blood pressure (hypertension)
- chest pain
- abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia)
- Heart valve or muscle issues
- coronary artery disease
- heart attack
- heart failure
- stroke
Heart disease has a myriad of causes and in many cases it is caused by more than one factor. Heart disease can be associated with congenital health problems, lifestyle choices, stress, genetics, and other health issues.
Cardiovascular Disease & Sleep Apnea
Patients with sleep apnea are more likely to be diagnosed with heart disease and patients with heart disease are more likely to be diagnosed with sleep apnea. However, because both sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease often co-exist with other health issues, it is difficult to understand their exact relationship.
Currently, researchers believe that not breathing regularly during sleep results in less oxygen in the blood. This lack of oxygen increases your blood pressure so that oxygenated blood flow to the heart and brain continues. The chronic increase in blood pressure creates heart disease.
In addition, though, heart disease and sleep apnea may often be found together in the same patient because both health issues are more common in men, in the obese, and in an older population.
OSA and Heart Disease Facts
- A Mayo Clinic study found that sleep apnea increases the chance of having a heart attack during sleep.
- According to a study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine, middle-aged men with OSA are 58 percent more likely to receive a heart disease diagnosis over an eight-year period.
- According to the same study, older men with severe sleep apnea were 68 percent more likely to develop coronary heart disease than those with mild or moderate sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Surgery
Doctors can all agree that untreated sleep apnea is very bad for your heart health. If you are unable or unwilling to use a CPAP device or another effective method of treating your OSA, you may wish to consider bimaxillary advancement surgery at Surgical Sleep Solutions. While surgery isn’t possible for those with serious health health issues, many sleep apnea sufferers are good candidates for this procedure.
To learn more about our services, or to speak with a doctor, please call (855) 560-7378 or fill out our self evaluation below to see if you are at high or low risk of suffering from sleep apnea.
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