Risks of sleep-disordered breathing

Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is both prevalent and associated with serious chronic illness. Sleep-disordered breathing is an ailment characterised by heavy snoring and short pauses in breathing known as apnoea. It is associated with high blood pressure and increased risks of heart attack and stroke. The breathing problem is more common among overweight and obese individuals. Besides loud, heavy snoring, symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing include daytime sleepiness, morning headaches and energy loss. There are a variety of treatments that may alleviate sleep-related breathing problems, ranging from simple lifestyle changes to surgery. One of the most effective interventions, is a simple nasal device that can keep air passages open for problem snorers while they sleep. The incidence of SDB and the effect of risk factors are unknown. Researchers took up this study to better understand the risks of developing SDB. To determine this researchers at the Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio followed nearly 300 men and women who took part in a sleep disorder study. The participants, who showed no signs of any breathing disorder at first, were given a series of sleep tests and then monitored for possible sleep apnoea risks, such as weight gain and high cholesterol levels. Five years later, the team found that nearly 16 percent of participants had developed a mild to moderate sleep-related breathing disorder, while an additional 7.5 percent suffered from more severe breathing problems. Younger men were far more likely to develop sleep-disordered breathing than women. However, the risks were roughly the same once men and women reached 60 years of age.

Overall, age was the most dominant influence on developing sleep-disordered breathing. But the researchers also uncovered a number of risk factors that could be brought under control, including weight gain, high cholesterol levels and fat deposits around the belly. It is still unclear, whether taking care of these risk factors could allow for more healthy sleep. Moreover, changes in diet and exercise, as well as certain drugs, can clearly lower the risk of heart disease a risk that research shows is raised among people with SDB. These findings will help doctors and patients recognise the threat.