Wendy Wolfson
Newswire21.org
Snoring may annoy your bed companion, but if it stems from sleep apnea, it may mean an early death for you.
A landmark study has linked sleep apnea to a 46 percent higher risk of dying after 40, particularly among men. The more severe the apnea, the higher the risk.
Men aged 40-70 with severe sleep apnea were twice as likely to die in the study as those without it. Overall, those with sleep apnea were one and a half times as likely to die.
It didn't matter whether they were former smokers or had high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. The sleep apnea was an independent risk factor.
Why did more men die than women? The researchers suggest that they may not have studied enough women. They also noted that the nature of cardiovascular disease in women is different by age.
The Sleep Health Heart Study followed 6,400 men and women for an average of eight years. Researchers compared groups that had no sleep apnea to groups that had mild, moderate, and severe sleep apnea.
About 12 million Americans are believed to have sleep apnea, which is characterized by breathing interruptions in sleep. Most remain undiagnosed.
This study is notable because it is so comprehensive and confirms the results of smaller studies that linked uncontrolled sleep apnea to high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure and stroke. Other studies have associated sleep apnea with greater chance of obesity and diabetes.
You Should Care
Extended sleep deprivation subtly affects endocrine function over decades,
decreasing the body's sensitivity to insulin and raising the risks of type II
diabetes.
"Because of the way your body responds to sleep apnea or sleep-disordered breathing, it increases your body's risk for cardiovascular disease," said Michael Twery, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.
Twery explained that when your body senses it isn't getting enough oxygen, it releases a bit of adrenalin that causes the heart to work harder and blood vessels to constrict.
Hundreds of events, night after night, can keep blood pressure constantly slightly elevated.
The continual release of stress hormones over time progressively degrades heart function.
Sleep deprivation also affects cognitive and memory function in the brain as well as mood.
"You are looking at a cumulative erosion of health." said Twery.
How do you know?
How would you know if you have sleep apnea, given you are asleep when it
occurs?
Aside from being told by a partner that you snore excessively or have patchy breathing when you sleep, other symptoms can be daytime fatigue or waking up with headaches.
A sign in older people is waking up to go to the bathroom more than usual.
According to Twery, if you are already at risk for cardiovascular disease you should pay attention to sleep patterns. If you suspect sleep apnea, you should consult your doctor as symptoms could also indicate other problems such as infection or depression.
Sleep apnea can have a variety of causes. Anatomical factors, genetics or simply gaining weight can obstruct airways. Fat can accumulate in the tongue, which if you are lying on your back, could block airways and interfere with nerve signals.
"Diet and losing weight for mild apnea is a first line of defense." said Twery.
Sleep apnea is treated by lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, surgery and breathing devices.
--------
The study, titled "Sleep disordered breathing and mortality: a prospective cohort study" was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and published in the April 18 issue of PLOS Medicine.
