Sixteen percent of Americans have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A 7-year study included 1,000 patients with OSA and was conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine. The study showed that people with OSA were twice as likely to develop a stroke.CPAP treatment decreased daytime fatigue, which is a common symptom of OSA, but did not change significantly the stroke risk. The question is what treatment we should use to decrease the risk.
According to the researchers, sleep apnea seems to be an independent risk factor for CAD, HTN and stroke.
Obesity is a known association of OSA and a part of what some Cleveland Clinic doctors call Diabesity - a common combination of DM2 and obesity. Diabesity® is a registered trademark of Shape Up America!©
Check out this clinical case presentation of a patient with OSA.
References:
Obstructive Sleep Apnea as a Risk Factor for Stroke and Death - NEJM 11/05
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure for Central Sleep Apnea and Heart Failure - NEJM 11/05
Sleep -— A New Cardiovascular Frontier - NEJM Editorial 11/05
Mavs Fan at the Finals - Photos - SI.com http://goo.gl/tIdL3
Sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing may be found in 19-29% of children with positive allergy test (http://goo.gl/AfCWZ).
Image source: FDA.gov
Sleepiness and sleep-disordered breathing may be found in 19-29% of children with positive allergy test (http://goo.gl/AfCWZ).
Image source: FDA.gov
Causes of sleep apnea are:
ReplyDelete1.An obstructed airway
2.A central nervous system disorder such as a stroke, a brain tumor, or even a viral brain infection
3.A chronic respiratory disease
Effects of Sleep Apnea:
If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in a growing number of health problems including hypertension, stroke, and heart attacks. In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes as well as academic underachievement in children and adolescents.
Sleep apnea has serious health consequences and can even be life-threatening. The sleep deprivation that is a result of sleep apnea affects both the sleeper and their bed partn
The effects of sleep apnea include
Unclear thinking, lack of concentration
A compromised immune system and slower healing
Poor mental and emotional health
Lack of smooth functioning of the body
A negative mood, irritability
Low energy
Daytime sleepiness
Decreased productivity
for more information about sleep apnea can be found at http://www.sleepdisordersguide.com