Sleep Apnea May Increase Risk for Heart Disease

by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough

Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, is not just a problem that affects sleep and leads to drowsiness.

According to several reports, people with sleep apnea are at increased risk for heart disease. Men with the most severe OSA faced a 58 percent higher risk of developing heart failure than those without OSA. And those ages 40 to 70 with the most severe OSA had a 68 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those without obstructive sleep apnea.

Severe apnea can be measured in sleep study tests and people with severe sleep apnea have an hourly average of 30 or more breathing interruptions causing oxygen depletion and lasting at least 10 seconds. The reason this is a problem is because it can cause blood oxygen to drop and can rouse people from sleep and increases blood pressure.