Sleepiness with apnoea raises heart disease risk

Daytime sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), go hand in hand with heart problems. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego studied 86 adults with OSA, a condition in which airways become blocked during sleep and breathing frequently stops for brief periods. These patients had no other medical conditions besides high blood pressure. They found that a higher score on a standardised daytime sleepiness scale was independently associated with a poor cardiac function. The cardiac function in these patients was subtly impaired, perhaps contributing to the perception of sleepiness and fatigue. OSA is a common sleep disorder characterised by considerable daytime sleepiness and by increased cardiovascular disease. It has been known for a long time that apnoea is associated with increased risk for hypertension (high blood pressure) and increased heart-related death. However, the mechanism for this mortality has not been understood. The current study found that OSA patients with more complaints of daytime sleepiness had decreased effectiveness of the heart's pumping action. The sleepiness that the patients report reflects not just their sleep disruption but also may be a marker for undiagnosed cardiac problems. The findings of this study highlight the importance of sleep disorders.