Scientists have discovered a relationship between sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Sleep apnea, according to scientific evidence, can almost double the risk of sudden death in a person. In a recent study, the researchers looked into the relationship between sleep apnea and mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has emerged as a major public health issue around the world. This condition is associated with a higher risk of sudden death and cardiovascular death than other conditions.

According to studies, obstructive sleep apnea has progressed to the status of a global health crisis. This chronic sleep problem affects more than one billion individuals worldwide, according to the most recent data available.

A recent study, published in the BMJ Open Respiratory Research, found that people diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea have a considerably higher risk of sudden death than people who do not have the condition.

Apnea is a medical term that means “without breath.” In people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, there is a decrease or complete obstruction of airflow while they are sleeping. There are many different ways in which this sleep disturbance expresses itself, including excessive daytime sleepiness, weariness, heavy snoring, and non-refreshing sleep.

Symptoms of sleep apnea

The night symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• loud snoring,
• breathing that stops for a short time and then resumes,
• cough,
• breathing through the mouth,
• anxiety during sleep,
• sleep in unusual poses,
• sweating
• enuresis,
• walking in a dream or nightmares

Daytime symptoms of sleep apnea:

• morning headaches
• breathing through the mouth,
• increased fatigue or drowsiness during the day (young children may not show signs of drowsiness),
• mood swings, irritability,
• problems with thinking, attention or memory,
• problems at school or at work,
• hyperactivity

Serious consequences of sleep apnea

Although these symptoms can potentially affect a person’s quality of life, they also have more serious consequences.

Researchers from the state of Pennsylvania conducted a systematic review of the literature and found 22 studies on obstructive sleep apnea, cardiac death and sudden death. The team analyzed the pooled data from these studies using meta-analysis.

The quantitative analysis included a total of more than 42,000 people worldwide. The average age of participants is 62 years, 64% were men.

The meta-analysis found that people who had obstructive sleep apnea were about twice as likely to die suddenly as people who didn’t. According to the findings of the study, obstructive sleep apnea was associated with a roughly twofold increased risk of cardiovascular death, which increased with age.

Many patients are unaware of the danger of an apnea diagnosis, according to Dr. John S. Oh, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and one of the study authors.

“Obstructive sleep apnea is a common condition that can have fatal consequences,” the researchers said.

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