Sleep Apnea and Stroke
Sleep apnea has been connected to an increased risk of having a stroke. According to a new research study, men with obstructive sleep apnea are twice as likely to have a stroke and women also have an increased risk. Researchers say the risk of a stroke rose with severity of sleep apnea. Men with moderate to severe sleep apnea are three times more likely to have a stroke than men with mild or no sleep apnea. Women only had an increased risk of stroke just in severe cases of sleep apnea.
A major study was conducted with 5,422 people 40 years old and over with no history of smoking. Participants were diagnosed with sleep apnea via standard at-home sleep test. The participants were followed for 9 years. During that time, 85 out of 2,642 men and 108 out of 2960 women suffered from strokes.
The increase of stroke even exists without other factors like weight, high blood pressure, race, diabetes, and smoking. Men naturally have a greater risk because they develop sleep apnea at younger ages and so go untreated for a longer amount of time.
Sleep apnea is also linked to other health problems like heart disease and diabetes. Many experts say sleep apnea is under-recognized by physicians and that is why so many troubles arise. Hopefully, this new research will lead to larger awareness of the dangers of sleep apnea.
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