Sleep Apnea Increases the Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases

Sleep Apnea could result in various cardiac cerebrovascular related diseases such as hypertension and cerebral infarction

Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention has recently presented the sleep apnea prevention tips by maintaining proper body weight and practicing no smoking & drinking as it is highly related to the onset of stroke.

Sleep apnea, characterized by repetitive snoring and pauses in breathing during sleep, is caused by obstruction of the upper airway. Sleep apnea is diagnosed if the pauses in breathing that last over 10 seconds repeat more than 5 times per an hour in average.

The troubling fact of sleep apnea is that it excites the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) that places a burden on the blood vessels or heart, which can result in increasing the risk of cardiac cerebrovascular diseases such as hypertension, various heart diseases, and cerebral infarction.

Maintaining proper weight is essential in order to prevent and manage sleep apnea. The risk of sleep apnea increases by 6 times per every 10% increase in body weight, whereas the risk decreases when you lose weight.

No smoking and drinking are also necessary. When the respiratory system is suppressed due to alcohol, not only upper airway muscle sags but also the airway itself becomes narrower as mucosa tissues gets swollen, which worsens the symptoms of sleep apnea. A glass of alcoholic beverage a day increases the risk of sleep apnea by 25% in average. Furthermore, the risk jumps up by 7 times if you smoke over 2 packs of cigarettes a day.

“You must consult with a doctor about sleep apnea if snoring and sleepiness during daytime continues,” said