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Conditions linked to obstructive sleep apnea
Untreated obstructive sleep apnea is associated with a higher risk for insulin resistance, heart disease, heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke. For this reason, treating sleep apnea is not simply a question of improving sleep quality and ending snoring; it may also decrease the risk of more serious disease.
 
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American Sleep Apnea Association(ASAA): This site is a source of information and a community for sufferers of sleep apnea. ASAA hosts a forum with live chats, a geographical listing of support groups in the U.S. and Canada and specific guidance for parents with children who have the disease. |
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MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Find an extended definition of sleep apnea in this medical encyclopedia provided by the National Institutes of Health. MedlinePlus provides a separate directory of links to sleep apnea news, diagnosis, treatment, and research from government agencies and associations.
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National Sleep Foundation (NSF): After explaining the basics of sleep apnea, the NSF's "Sleeptionary" features sections on coping and links to articles. NSF also covers symptoms and treatment of sleep apnea in children. |
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI): NHLBI, part of the National Institutes of Health, includes sections on the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sleep apnea. It outlines who is at risk, how to live with the condition, and how to help those who may have it. |
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ClinicalTrials.gov: The National Institutes of Health maintains this research database of federally and privately supported clinical trials. It includes the purpose, eligibility criteria, and location for each study. |
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SleepEducation.com: The American Academy of Sleep Medicine offers tools for evaluating sleep, including a true-false questionnaire and a sample sleep diary. The sleep apnea page walks patients through a series of points to help determine if they have sleep apnea, whether they need to see a sleep specialist, what to tell their doctor, and how their condition may be treated. Don't overlook additional resources, such as sleep apnea case studies or suggestions for sleep hygiene. |
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The link between sleep apnea and these diseases is imperfectly understood. However, some events that happen during sleep apnea episodes may be bad for your heart.
In normal sleep, the deeper your sleep, the more your heart and blood vessels dilate. The heart beats more slowly and puts out less blood with each beat. Blood pressure is lower, and the blood vessels dilate.
But when a person with obstructive sleep apnea stops breathing, he or she wakes up. This interrupts sleep and stimulates the cardiovascular system. Blood vessels constrict and blood pressure goes up in the vessels and in the lungs, both because the person wakes up and because the blood is low in oxygen. The pressures that build up in the chest as you struggle to breathe against a closed airway can also affect the heart.
Even while awake, people with obstructive sleep apnea have higher heart rates and more variable blood pressure than people without sleep apnea.
In the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort, a long-term study, people with moderate to severe OSA at the time of the initial sleep study were three times more likely to have developed high blood pressure four years later.
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