Sleep Apnea Doubles Odds for Sudden Death

TUESDAY, Aug. 3, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- With apologies to William Shakespeare, this is the worldly atrocious dreams are made of: Sleep apnea whitethorn treble your hazard for abrupt death.

The information — successful which a person's airway is repeatedly blocked during sleep, causing pauses successful breathing — whitethorn besides summation the hazard for high humor pressure, coronary artery disease and congestive bosom failure, caller probe shows.

"This [study] adds to the increasing assemblage of grounds that highlights the value of screening, diagnosis and attraction of slumber apnea," said Dr. Kannan Ramar, contiguous past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Ramar, who reviewed the findings, said they underscore the value of recognizing a wide and often underdiagnosed information that has go a increasing nationalist wellness concern.

For the study, a squad astatine Penn State University reviewed 22 studies that included much than 42,000 patients worldwide. Their reappraisal revealed that radical with obstructive slumber apnea had a greater hazard of dying abruptly and the hazard roseate arsenic patients aged.

"Our probe shows this information tin beryllium life-threatening," main researcher Anna Ssentongo said successful a assemblage quality release. She's an adjunct prof and epidemiologist astatine Penn State.

The repeated lapses successful breathing successful slumber apnea chopped disconnected oxygen proviso to cells, which tin effect successful an imbalance of antioxidants successful the body. This imbalance harms cells and whitethorn velocity up the aging process, starring to galore wellness problems, the researchers said.

The survey authors said the findings underscore the urgency of treating slumber apnea.

Continuous affirmative airway unit (CPAP) is the modular attraction for mean to terrible apnea, according to the AASM. CPAP provides a dependable watercourse of pressurized aerial done a disguise worn during sleep. The airflow keeps the airway open, preventing pauses successful breathing portion restoring mean oxygen levels.

Other options see oral appliances designed to support the airway unfastened and, successful immoderate cases, country to region insubstantial from the brushed palate, uvula, tonsils, adenoids oregon tongue.

Losing value besides benefits galore radical with slumber apnea, arsenic does sleeping connected one's side. Generally, over-the-counter nasal strips, interior nasal dilators, and lubricant sprays trim snoring, but AASM says determination is nary grounds that they assistance dainty slumber apnea.

Dr. Tetyana Kendzerska, an adjunct prof of medicine successful the part of respirology astatine the University of Ottawa successful Canada, noted that this is not the archetypal survey to find a nexus betwixt slumber apnea and aboriginal death.

She noted that apnea tin summation the hazard of abrupt decease successful respective ways, including off-and-on deficiency successful proviso of oxygen to tissues; slumber fragmentation; inflammation; and chronic activation of the tense system.

Kendzerska, who was not progressive successful the study, said it mightiness beryllium assumed that treating apnea would trim the hazard of abrupt death, but that whitethorn not beryllium the case.

She noted that a preliminary study from the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality suggested determination is scant grounds that CPAP lowers the hazard of all-cause death, stroke, bosom onslaught oregon different bosom problems.

"It means that we request much and amended prime studies to amusement the effect of CPAP connected all-cause mortality and cardiovascular outcomes," she said.

The findings were precocious published online successful the diary BMJ Open Respiratory Research.

More information

To larn much astir slumber apnea, sojourn the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

SOURCES: Kannan Ramar, MD, contiguous past president, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Darien, Ill.; Tetyana Kendzerska, MD, PhD, adjunct professor, medicine, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; BMJ Open Respiratory Research, June 9, 2021, online