In the November 2010 issue of Men’s Health, Contributing Editor Jim Thornton, highlighted the phantom disease of sleep apnea in fit, athletic men. Jim himself had been warned by his doctor to go through a sleep evaluation and the story of Tom Zehmisch eventually was what persuaded him to get tested.
Jim and Tom—a lean, fit triathlete—shared a room while participating in a national swim meet. Tom’s snoring was so loud, Jim ended up moving to another room after the first night…and though Jim complained about his snoring, Tom was convinced Jim was exaggerating.
Four months after the swim meet, Tom died of a heart attack at age 46. Of the laundry list of sleep apnea symptoms (obesity, chronic grogginess, snoring, and cardiac complications), Tom’s only symptom was the snoring.
Dr. W. Christopher Winter, medical director at Martha Jefferson Hospital Sleep Medicine Center, said, “There are athletes everywhere who have sleep apnea. Not only does the apnea affect their athletic performance, but it is extremely hard on their cardiovascular systems as well.”
Heart-related deaths from untreated sleep apnea usually occur during sleep. But chronic stress on the heart can leave victims vulnerable during strenuous athletic events. Over time, many people experience pathological thickening of their heart’s right ventricle, causing it to struggle to pump enough blood to their lungs.
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