How Does Sleep Apnea Affect Cardiovascular Health?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a nighttime breathing disorder that affects millions of people. While it is commonly associated with snoring and tiredness, those symptoms really just paint part of a much bigger picture. Without treatment, OSA may have devastating consequences for your overall health, including your heart! How exactly does sleep apnea affect cardiovascular health? This blog post explains.

Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Health

There is a strong correlation between sleep apnea and cardiovascular health problems. For example, if you have OSA, you may be at a greater risk of:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• High blood pressure
• Sudden cardiac arrest
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart failure
• Irregular heartbeat

What Explains the Connection?

There are a few possible explanations for why OSA is correlated with an increased risk of heart problems:

• Common risk factors. OSA and heart problems have some common underlying risk factors, such as being biologically male, smoking, age, and obesity.
• Increased stress on your heart. OSA causes multiple pauses in breathing throughout the night. This can change the pressure around your heart and possibly even cause it to stop.
• Oxygen deprivation. When you stop breathing, your blood oxygen levels drop. This can negatively affect your heart and may contribute to an irregular heartbeat, damage to blood vessels, and more.
• Weight gain. Poor sleep can increase cravings for sugary, starchy, and calorie-rich foods. It may contribute to weight gain, and excess weight gain can cause heart problems.
• Other contributing factors. Sleep apnea can make you feel more stressed from day to day, which can affect your hormones, your blood pressure, and more.

Protect Your Heart Health Through High-Quality Sleep

While there is no way to completely eliminate your risk of cardiovascular health problems, you may be able to lower your risk by doing all you can to get higher-quality sleep. Here are some practical steps you can take:

• See a doctor if you believe you have a sleep disorder. They can arrange for you to undergo a sleep test.
• Get treatment for OSA. For example, you might choose to use a custom oral appliance from a dentist. It can keep your airway open and allow you to breathe without interruption through the night.
• Manage other aspects of your health. Eating a healthful diet, getting enough exercise, and managing your mental health can all be good for both your quality of sleep and your cardiovascular wellness.

Sleep apnea can spell trouble for your heart. Take practical steps to get an adequate amount of high-quality shuteye each night. Your cardiovascular system will thank you!

Meet the Practice

At Florida Dental Sleep Disorders, Drs. Kenneth Mogell and Yitta Garden work together to help patients find relief from sleep apnea via oral appliance therapy. If you are concerned about how poor quality sleep may be affecting your health, we are ready to advise you on your next steps. Contact any of our three conveniently located offices or call our Melbourne location at 321-265-3462.