Sleep Apnea's Impact on Heart Health

Sleep apnea affects an estimated one billion people worldwide. It disrupts your sleep, often without you even being aware, making you feel tired all the time and even struggle with constant morning headaches.

At West Houston Heart Center in Houston, Texas, Dr. Humayun Naqvi and his team offer preventive cardiology, including prevention of heart problems by treating other, often comorbid, conditions like sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea basics

Sleep apnea disrupts restful sleep by interrupting breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common apnea type, and is caused by the soft tissues at the back of the tongue and throat collapsing into each other during sleep. 

This closes the airway until your body’s automatic startle response tells your brain you aren’t breathing, and the brain signals your muscles to contract enough to restart your breathing — often without waking you up. Because of this, you won’t be able to fall into the truly deep sleep your body needs, and may wake up every morning feeling completely unrested.

Central sleep apnea (CSA) is a failure to communicate between the brain and the muscles that control breathing. This type of apnea is more rare and can also be more dangerous. Complex sleep apnea is even rarer, and is considered a mix of both issues.

Sleep apnea and your heart

Interruptions in your breathing can lead to decreased oxygen levels in the blood. People with sleep apnea also commonly experience snoring or snorting as their body jolts and their breathing restarts. 

These surges cause excess production of the stress hormone adrenaline, raising blood pressure and keeping it high over long periods of time. This puts added strain on the heart. In fact, sleep apnea patients are twice as likely to have a heart attack than people without sleep apnea.

Additional risk and connections

Obstructive sleep apnea can increase your risk for a potentially fatal incident: heart failure by 140%, stroke by 60%, and coronary heart disease by 30%. Unfortunately, many people don’t know they have sleep apnea, or don’t comply with recommended treatment.

In addition to a higher chance of heart attack and stroke, people with sleep apnea are more likely to have comorbidities like diabetes, asthma, or even cancer. Sleep apnea is dangerous at multiple levels, and it’s critical that you’re aware of such complications and act now to protect your health, starting with your heart. 

Worried about sleep apnea and your cardiovascular health? Schedule an appointment at West Houston Heart Center. Call us at 832-400-3957, or request an appointment online.