Understan the Link between sleep apnea and heart failure
Despite the fact that obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease share some risk factors, epidemiologic research indicates that sleep apnea increases the risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of an individual's demographic characteristics (such as age, sex, or race) or risk markers (such as smoking, alcohol use, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and high blood pressure). Heart failure, stroke, and coronary artery disease are all more common in those with severe sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease are linked; however, the underlying processes are not well understood. Sustained sympathetic activity, intrathoracic pressure fluctuations, and oxidative stress are a few possible intermediate pathways. The development of cardiovascular disease may also be influenced by other anomalies such as coagulation factor disorders, endothelial damage, platelet activation, and elevated inflammatory mediators. Evidence showing that treating obstructive sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure lowers systolic blood pressure, enhances left ventricular systolic function, and decreases platelet activation supports the link between the condition and cardiovascular disease.
The fact that sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease may share certain pathogenetic processes makes understanding the relationships between the two disorders more complicated. In actuality, hypertension is related to both sleep apnea and cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of hypertension increased significantly with the increasing severity of sleep apnea, according to data on the relationship between sleep apnea and hypertension. It is estimated that 40% of patients with sleep apnea have hypertension, whereas 30% of hypertensive patients have occult sleep apnea. Even though it hasn't been convincingly proven that CPAP therapy decreases blood pressure over the long term, sleep apnea severity can be reduced by CPAP therapy, which leads to a decrease in systemic blood pressure throughout the day.
Here are some expert tips that can help you lead a heart healthy lifestyle.
Patients with sleep apnea frequently have insufficient or fragmented sleep, and routinely skipping sleep can be harmful to heart health.
Allowing the body to relax and recover is one of the many crucial functions of sleep. As breathing becomes calm and regular during sleep, blood pressure and heart rate decrease.
By not obtaining enough sleep due to diseases like OSA, the heart and cardiovascular system are not given this crucial recuperation period. The risks of hypertension, cardiac disease, heart attacks, and stroke have all been found to be elevated by chronic sleep deprivation.
Sleep apnea is characterised by frequent breathing pauses that can stress and even harm the cardiovascular system as a whole. Several biochemical routes have been proposed, while more study is still needed to understand how sleep apnea affects the cardiovascular system and causes heart disease.
Specialised cells in the body known as chemoreceptors detect changes as the body loses oxygen and trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which is the component of the nervous system in charge of responding to stressful or dangerous conditions, to react. When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, the body begins to gasp for breath, which might occasionally cause someone to become awake.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients struggle to breathe in due to a constricted or blocked upper airway. The pressure inside the chest cavity might shift significantly as a result of these failed, forceful inhalations. These repeated variations in intrathoracic pressure might harm the heart over time. Changes in intrathoracic pressure can cause heart failure, atrial fibrillation, issues with blood supply to the heart, and even an irregular, frequently fast pulse.
A person with sleep apnea can effectively inhale after each breath pause. This inhalation replenishes the body's tissues, blood, and lungs with much-needed oxygen. Unfortunately, repeated variations in oxygen levels can seriously damage the body, a condition known as oxidative stress. Systemic inflammation, as well as neurochemical and physiological responses that raise the risk of heart disease, can all be promoted by oxidative stress.
The complex relationship between sleep apnea and heart disease emphasises how crucial it is to treat sleep apnea well from the beginning and to maintain that improvement in heart health. Patients may actively seek to safeguard their cardiovascular health and improve their general well-being by understanding the physiological effects of sleep apnea on the heart and addressing risk factors for both disorders.
We at Citizens Specialty Hospital and Dr. Sudheer are dedicated to giving our patients individualised treatment by addressing the complex issues of sleep apnea and its effects on cardiovascular health. We work to provide our patients the tools they need to take charge of their sleep health and lead better lives through specialised therapies, information, and support. Take the first step to protecting your present and future heart health. Make a call to us right away so that our Citizens Specialty sleep apnea specialist can assist you in getting a decent night's sleep.
