Sleepless nights, heart aches...Severe sleep apnea, cardiovascular death rate five times higher
Feb 19, 2025
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The importance of adequate sleep cannot be overemphasized. However, if sleep apnea occurs frequently, the quality of sleep is greatly reduced, so no matter how much you sleep, you fall into a tired state. As a result, excessive daytime sleepiness, chronic fatigue, memory and concentration loss, headaches, and insomnia cause great difficulties in daily life. It can also cause damage not only to yourself but also to your surroundings, such as drowsy driving. In particular, sleep apnea can cause or worsen cardiovascular disease.
According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, 835,223 patients were treated for sleep disorders in 2023, of which 153,802 patients visited the hospital for sleep apnea, which is increasing every year. Experts say this is also just the tip of the iceberg.
Sleep apnea is a condition in which you do not breathe for more than 10 seconds during sleep. It is known to appear in more than 50% of patients with diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. In particular, 83% of patients with resistant hypertension, whose blood pressure is not well controlled even when three or more antihypertensive drugs are used, have been reported to be accompanied by sleep apnea.
Sleep apnea and snoring are different concepts. Snoring is caused by resistance due to upper respiratory tract stricture, but breathing is basically done. On the other hand, sleep apnea refers to a state in which breathing is not performed because the upper airway is closed or there is no effort to breathe. If apnea is repeated during sleep, the level of oxygen in the blood drops and the brain enters an arousal state. This is the cause of obstructing a good night's sleep.
Sleep apnea can lead to a variety of serious complications, including hypertension, arrhythmia, angina, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure. In addition, proper treatment is essential because it can cause mental disorders such as cognitive impairment, depression, and dementia.
Professor Na Jin-oh of the Department of Circulatory Medicine at Korea University Guro Hospital said, `Sleep apnea lowers oxygen saturation and activates sympathetic nerves, preventing the heart from resting enough at night, increasing the risk of developing fatal heart diseases such as high blood pressure and heart failure.'
According to related studies, severe sleep apnea increases all mortality by approximately fourfold, and the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease is reported to be approximately five times higher.
In particular, heart disease can eventually develop into heart failure. Heart failure refers to a condition in which the heart cannot circulate enough blood for our body, and the resulting mortality rate is known to be higher than that of some cancers. Patients with heart failure are repeatedly breathing excessively during sleep and suddenly stopping, and this central sleep apnea and hyperventilation are repeated 'chain-stock breathing' can appear just before death, so it is also called 'liminal breathing'.
If you want to check your sleep quality, wearing a smart watch that can measure pulse rate or oxygen saturation during sleep can be helpful. It's not 100% accurate, but it's useful for checking your condition. Also, if your tongue is blocking your throat and hide when you look through the mirror, you need to suspect sleep apnea. This is because obstructive sleep apnea, which blocks the upper airway during sleep, can occur due to thickening of the tongue.
It is important to have a polysomnography for accurate diagnosis. The apnea-hyperventilation index (AHI) is measured through a polysomnography test. This test checks how many times apnea and hypoventilation appear per hour during sleep, and is classified as normal if it is less than 5 times in an hour, mild if it is 5 to 15 times, severe between 15 to 30 times, and severe sleep apnea if it is more than 30 times. For example, a patient with an AHI index of 30 occurs 30 times of apnea that does not breathe for more than 10 seconds in an hour. In other words, there is a situation where you do not breathe every two minutes.
The most effective treatment for sleep apnea is the use of a positive pressure device. A positive pressure device is a device that is worn on the face and continuously supplies air to the airways during sleep, and is recommended for patients with sleep apnea. For patients who have difficulty using a positive pressure device, there is also a way to relieve blockage of the upper respiratory tract by pulling the lower jaw or tongue forward through an intraoral device. In addition, weight loss may help improve sleep apnea, and surgical treatment may be considered for those with anatomically narrow upper airways.
Professor Na said, "To sleep well, it is important to see sunlight during the day, a regular lifestyle, and proper exercise." In addition, it is important to create a pleasant sleep environment and maintain the habit of sleeping and waking up regularly. Excessive drinking should be avoided" he advised.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
