How does Sleep Apnea affect the heart?

8 Comments

1. c_schumacker says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   Your question was specifically how does sleep apnea affect the heart. People have told you a lot about sleep apnea, horrible life circumstances, and that it depletes oxygen but have not really gotten to the crux of your question.

   As mentioned sleep apnea does reduce the oxygen saturation in your blood stream – sometimes by quite a lot. Your body responds by increasing adrenergic tone (sort of giving itself adrenaline surges) thinking it is being sufficated. This action causes the pulmonary pressures to rise (increasing the blood pressure around the vessels specific to the lungs). The right side of the heart is accustomed to relatively low pressures. When the right side of the heart has to push against high pressure, it is common to have right sided dilation and valve failure as direct result of sleep apnea. It also is common to have secondary atrial fibrillation from sleep apnea. The pacemaker region is typically stretched and these cells become uncoordinated, beating at random times, causing the atrial fibrillation.

   When you couple the above actions with systemic hypertension (whole body high blood pressure) then the heart can experience left sided dilitation and hypertrophy (thickening of the heart wall) as well. This sets up the heart for increasing oxygen demands in an environment where there is inadequate oxygen supply. Sleep apnea can actually create and exacerbate ishemic (inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle) cardiomyopathy – causing congestive heart failure.

   In short, untreated sleep apnea over time can dramatically affect the heart in direct and indirect ways. It is worth getting this condition evaluated if you think you might suffer from it. And bonus, once treated your sleep will be much more restful too.

   I hope this is helpful. Good luck.
2. bumpercar says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   oxygen depleation
3. CBM79 says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   Yes, it can affect the heart. Look up sleep apnea on http://www.wikipedia.org. It has a lot of information.
4. sharon w says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   Sleep apnea effect’s the heart because of oxygen depletion,when normal respiratory rate is interrupted. For accurate diagnosis of sleep apnea is done in a sleep lab by a qualified MD. There can be many other causes for irregular heart beat. Take care . SW RNP
5. Kathy C says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   The nurse is right my husband had it for years and had a massive heart attack,the doctor told him 2years prior to go to a sleep clinic, he went to late but now he sleeps with his machine on every night .The clinic told him he quit breathing 70 times in an hr.Everyone I know who wears there machine feels 100% better,more energy.Your heart and other organs are not getting enough oxygen.
6. tlbrown42000 says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   It’s raises pressure in the lungs and then in the heart. Likewise it then elevates blood pressure. As a health care provider, if I have a patient that I have particular problems with in lowering high blood pressure, I have sleep studies done. Sleep apnea is often the culpret behind the high blood pressure.
7. ladyrider41 says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   yes, oxygen depletion to the heart and other vital organs. please please go to a sleep clinic and get a mask. my husband of 11 years had it but didn’t believe me when i told him how he would stop breathing at night and make strange noises in his breathing. one night he just sat up in bed and looked horrified. then slumped down. yes he was dead. sleep apnea is a very serious problem. thank for listening.
8. msjerge says:

   July 11, 2009 at 7:04 am

   Sleep apnea is a sleep and breathing disorder that can have serious effects on your health and well-being.

   Apnea is a breathing stoppage where air cannot flow in or out of a person’s nose or mouth. The amount of time that a sleep apnea patient stops breathing can be from 10 seconds to two minutes or more. These breathing "stoppages" can happen a few times per hour or, in more severe cases, 60-100 times per hour or to the point where someone spends more time NOT breathing than they are breathing.

   When breathing stops, oxygen levels drop significantly and can affect the heart, brain and blood pressure. Recent studies prove a relationship between sleep apnea and heart problems and failure, hypertension and stroke. It may contribute to obesity and diabetes. Snoring is frequently associated with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is not confined to one group or size, but is more frequent in men and obese individuals.

   How does this affect ?
   Because someone with sleep apnea wakes up constantly due to the breathing stoppages, they have inadequate sleep. The apneic patient is usually not aware how many times they wake up during the night, but it can be as many times as they stop breathing. It could be 70-100 times per hour and they don’t realize it! This lack of quality and restorative sleep leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. Concentration and daytime performance can be severely affected.

   The most dangerous of the problems related to lack of sleep are "drowsy driving" and accidents on the job, which can lead to fatalities or serious consequences of untreated sleep apnea. The snoring that can accompany sleep apnea can also mean a disturbed sleep for the bed partner of the individual and the bed partner can also be sleep deprived. Other problems, such as depression, irritability and sexual dysfunction, can also be linked to untreated sleep apnea.

   If someone falls asleep at inappropriate times, such as driving a car or while stopped in traffic, while working or when engaged in conversation, that person should be evaluated by a physician for sleep apnea.

   Sleep apnea can be caused by an obstruction in the upper airway that blocks the air from getting in our out. When the muscles are relaxed during sleep, they can sag, causing a blockage.

   Also an excessive amount of tissue, such as in obesity, can cause a narrowing and obstruction.