Sleep apnea and heart failure

 What to know about sleep apnea and heart failure? This is from Medical News Today and it is a summary of the article found in the link below.

Sleep apnea and heart failure

Doctors link sleep apnea to heart failure. Repeated pauses in breathing during sleep may damage a person’s heart. Sleep apnea also commonly occurs in people with heart disorders. Managing the symptoms of one condition may help the other.

Sleep apnea is a type of disordered breathing in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep. The most common type is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the upper breathing passage closes partially or totally when the person is sleeping.

Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.

Sleep apnea and heart failure share some similar symptoms, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, frequent nighttime urination, and waking with shortness of breath or gasping.

Treating sleep apnea can help improve health problems such as heart failure, and treating heart failure can help improve sleep apnea.

This article will look at sleep apnea’s link to heart failure and how managing sleep apnea can help a person stop heart failure from developing or worsening.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder in which a person repeatedly stops and starts breathing during their sleep.

Apnea causes breathing to stop for 10 seconds or more. The brain responds to apnea by waking up just enough to breathe. Usually, the person is not aware of these waking episodes that may last only a few seconds.

The link between sleep apnea and heart failure

Repeated stops in breathing temporarily reduce the supply of oxygen to a person’s heart and lungs. This repetitive lack of oxygen triggers the release of stress hormones, leading to stress on the heart. In addition, blood pressure might increase, putting further strain on the heart.

The American Heart Association (AHA) associates sleep restriction with inflammation, which they say can elevate the risk of damage to the heart. People with sleeping disorders such as sleep apnea are far more likely to have heart disease and heart disorders.

Sleep apnea may also increase a person’s risk for other health conditions, such as:

·        high blood pressure

·        stroke

·        glaucoma and dry eyes

·        type 2 diabetes

·        metabolic syndrome

·        kidney disease

·        dementia

·        depression

Heart disease

Around 40–80% of people in the United States with cardiovascular disease also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) yet it is underrecognized and undertreated.

Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, including:

·        heart failure

·        coronary artery disease

·        myocardial infarction or heart attack

·        arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat

·        cardiomyopathy

·        heart valve disease

A 2018 review focusing on the relationship between OSA and heart failure states that OSA contributes substantially to the development and progression of heart failure.

The symptoms of sleep apnea include:

·        waking up with a morning headache

·        snoring, sometimes loudly, 

·        witnessed episodes of apnea

·        waking up several times a night to urinate, also known as nocturia

·        frequent awakenings during the sleep cycle

·        a dry mouth

·        excessive daytime sleepiness

·        problems with memory and concentration

·        irritability

·        decrease in sex drive or erectile dysfunction

·        falling asleep while reading, watching TV, during class, or while driving

For mild OSA, a doctor may suggest a person adopts certain lifestyle changes, such as:

·        maintaining a moderate weight

·        staying physically active and getting regular exercise

·        limiting alcohol and caffeine consumption, where applicable

·        reviewing and changing medications that may cause sleep apnea

·        sleeping on one side

·        quitting smoking if the person smokes

Besides lifestyle changes, doctors typically recommend continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines to treat moderate to severe OSA. CSA is often more difficult to treat and may require more complex pressure delivery systems. It is best for people to receive this therapy through a sleep clinic.

Risk factors for heart failure

Sleep apnea can occur alongside heart failure. Certain conditions and genetic and lifestyle factors can increase the risks. Medical conditions that may increase a person’s chance of developing heart failure include:  

·        diabetes

·        high blood pressure

·        obesity

·        conditions related to heart disease such as angina, atrial fibrillation,

·        Marfan syndrome, and congenital heart defects

Behaviours that can increase a person’s risk for heart failure include:

·        smoking tobacco

·        eating foods high in fat and salt

·        not doing an adequate amount of physical activity

·        excessive alcohol intake

Sleep apnea is a sleep-related breathing disorder that doctors link to heart failure.

Heart failure is a serious condition that develops when a person’s heart does not pump enough blood to meet their body’s needs.

Treating sleep apnea can relieve some symptoms of heart failure and may stop the condition from worsening. In turn, if a person can manage symptoms of heart disease, this can reduce their risk of developing sleep apnea.