Sleep apnea: Daytime sleepiness might help predict cardiovascular risk
24 February, 2019
A recent study categorizing people with obstructive sleep apnea based on their differing symptoms found a strong link between excessive daytime sleepiness and cardiovascular disease.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes sporadic airflow blockages during sleep.
All of the different types of sleep apnea, OSA is the most common.
Symptoms include snoring, daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, and high blood pressure.
OSA occurs when the throat muscles relax too much to keep the airway open.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million adults in the United States have sleep apnea. If a person does not seek treatment, it can lead to several complications — one of which is cardiovascular disease.
Sleep apnea and cardiovascular problems
According to the American Thoracic Society, about 30 percent of people with high blood pressure, or hypertension, have OSA. Also, individuals with OSA have a 50 percent chance of developing hypertension.
However, researchers do not yet know why people with OSA are likelier to develop heart disease.
When these breathing pauses occur, the oxygen level in the blood gets low, and these frequent bouts of low oxygen levels during sleep may damage the blood vessels that supply the heart.
During these pauses, the heart beats faster and the blood pressure goes up. Severe OSA can also cause the heart to become enlarged. When this occurs, the heart receives less oxygen and works less efficiently.
Previous studies have identified a link between OSA and heart disease. However, to understand the association better, researchers categorized people with OSA based on their symptoms and conducted a new study.
Their results now appear in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
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