Sleep apnoea raises heart risk

Those suffering from sleep apnoea are more prone to cardiovascular diseases. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) occurs when soft tissues in the airways collapse during sleep, blocking breathing for brief but frequent periods. Moderate–severe obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with endothelial dysfunction, increased arterial stiffness, and hypertension. It is not known whether minimally symptomatic OSA is also associated with impaired vascular function. To study this association researchers from America identified 64 patients with minimal symptoms of OSA and compared them with 15 people without the condition. The researchers took into consideration the age, gender, body mass index, and cardiovascular risk profile of all the participants. It was found that the normal dilation of arteries that occurs when blood-flow increases was significantly lower in the OSA patients than in control subjects. Further, another test showed that the stiffness of arteries was significantly higher in the OSA group. The above findings indicate that patients with only mild OSA may be at increased cardiovascular risk and may therefore benefit from continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy - breathing pressurised air via a facemask during sleep to keep airways open.

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