Most people who snore do not have sleep apnea. But doctors say most people with sleep apnea do snore. More studies show that sleep apnea can lead to stroke and heart attack. Dr. Michael Twery of the National Institutes of Health says, “Whenever we run out of enough air to breathe, it sends alerting signals to our minds. It raises the level of stress hormones. It tell our heart to work harder.” And, when you stop breathing, oxygen levels in the blood decrease. With sleep apnea this happens repeatedly. Night after night of this overworks the heart. That means you could be on your way to a stroke or heart attack.
Dr. Twery led a study with about 9,000 patients with sleep apnea but no history of heart disease; he followed their progress for nine years. What he found was that men can experience up to a three-fold increased risk of stroke and that the severity of the sleep apnea correlated to the risk.
Now researchers plan to study sleep apnea patients who have had a stroke or heart attack to see if using a CPAP can reduce the risk of a second one.
According to WebMD, you can take measures to reduce your chances of a stroke; they are the same as those for avoiding a heart attack. The essentials include eating foods low in fat, salt and cholesterol; getting exercise regularly; watching your weight; monitoring you blood pressure and cholesterol levels, limiting alcohol, and avoid smoking.
Another important tip to prevent stroke is to get treated for sleep apnea, if you have it. A CPAP will normalize your breathing and restores normal oxygen levels as you sleep.
Bottom line? Be proactive about your health. And, if you think you could have sleep apnea, get it checked out.
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