OSA And Your Health

Cardiovascular Disease

The link between Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) has been well documented and include: drug resistant hypertension, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, and angina. An estimated 5 million American’s have congestive heart failure, and recent studies have shown that nearly half of these patients have sleep related breathing disorders. (Javaheri et al. Circulation 1999)

Sleep Apnea causes hypoxia, increased intra thoracic pressure swings due to the attempts to breath during an apnic event, and activation of the central nervous system that negatively affect the cardiovascular system. Sleep Apnea is common in patients with cardiovascular disease; in particular, half of those who have atrial fibrillation have sleep apnea. (Somers et al. Circulation 2004) Furthermore, it is estimated that as much as 80% of the patient population with drug resistant hypertension have sleep apnea. (Logan et al. J. Hypertension 2001)