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Sleep apnea a stand-alone mortality risk
August 04, 2008An independent link between sleep apnea and mortality has been discovered by a group of Australian researchers, suggesting the prevention and treatment of this condition should be a higher priority for government bodies working to improve community health.
The study conducted by the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney found moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was associated with 33% mortality over 14 years compared to 7.7% mortality in people with no sleep apnea.
This is the first report to demonstrate an independent association between all-cause mortality and obstructive sleep apnea in a population-based cohort. The community-based sample of 380 people comprised men and women from the Western Australian town of Busselton who underwent investigation with a home sleep apnea monitoring device in 1990.
The study results confirm the pattern seen in clinic or hospital-based studies where people more severely afflicted by the disease may have potentially biased results.
Dr Nathaniel Marshall, from the Woolcock Institute said the findings of the study have important implications for the direction of health policy in Australia.
"We already know that approximately 25% of men and 9% of women in the middle-age bracket in Australia stop breathing during sleep at least five times per hour," he said.
"However because sleep apnea is strongly associated with obesity, and its related diseases, it has been difficult in the past to produce clear evidence that increased mortality is a result of OSA and not because of other established causes.
"That evidence is now available and shows that moderate to severe sleep apnea is associated with about five times the risk of dying after you control for other factors that are already known to cause premature death."
Dr Marshall said the study results highlight a need to increase research funding to investigate whether treatment of sleep apnea can decrease heart attacks, strokes and premature deaths.
"There is a need for high quality clinical trials looking at treatments for sleep apnea that are large enough and long enough to find out whether we can prevent disease or reduce mortality risk."
Professor Ron Grunstein, Head of Sleep and Circadian Research, Woolcock Institute said, "Obstructive sleep apnea is a deadly disease and it is now time for public health and medical practitioners as well as the general public to take it seriously.
"The health profession needs to look closely at ways of detecting sleep apnea in children, adolescents and young adults to prevent sleep apnea in the over 40 years age group.
"Sleep apnea prevention is different to obesity prevention as genetic factors related to facial shape and structure also play a role in pathogenesis," he said.
Research Australia
The study results confirm the pattern seen in clinic or hospital-based studies where people more severely afflicted by the disease may have potentially biased results.
Dr Nathaniel Marshall, from the Woolcock Institute said the findings of the study have important implications for the direction of health policy in Australia.
"We already know that approximately 25% of men and 9% of women in the middle-age bracket in Australia stop breathing during sleep at least five times per hour," he said.
"However because sleep apnea is strongly associated with obesity, and its related diseases, it has been difficult in the past to produce clear evidence that increased mortality is a result of OSA and not because of other established causes.
"That evidence is now available and shows that moderate to severe sleep apnea is associated with about five times the risk of dying after you control for other factors that are already known to cause premature death."
Dr Marshall said the study results highlight a need to increase research funding to investigate whether treatment of sleep apnea can decrease heart attacks, strokes and premature deaths.
"There is a need for high quality clinical trials looking at treatments for sleep apnea that are large enough and long enough to find out whether we can prevent disease or reduce mortality risk."
Professor Ron Grunstein, Head of Sleep and Circadian Research, Woolcock Institute said, "Obstructive sleep apnea is a deadly disease and it is now time for public health and medical practitioners as well as the general public to take it seriously.
"The health profession needs to look closely at ways of detecting sleep apnea in children, adolescents and young adults to prevent sleep apnea in the over 40 years age group.
"Sleep apnea prevention is different to obesity prevention as genetic factors related to facial shape and structure also play a role in pathogenesis," he said.
Research Australia
Sleep Apnea Current Events and Sleep Apnea News RSSEye conditions linked with obstructive sleep apnea
If a good night's sleep helps the brain and body perform better, it's a good guess that sleep problems can cause more than just fatigue. Numerous studies have shown a connection between sleep disorders and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and metabolic disorders, including the risk of obesity and diabetes mellitus. In the November issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic researchers outline several interesting associations between sleep disorders and eye disease.
Sleep Apnea May Be Risk Factor for Sudden Cardiac Death, Mayo Clinic Research Concludes
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Smokers see decline in ability to smell, rise in laryngitis, and upper airway issues
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New drug target in obesity: Fat cells make lots of melanin
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Green neighborhoods may reduce childhood obesity
Childhood obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, asthma, hypertension, sleep apnea and emotional distress. Obese children and youth are likely to be obese as adults, experience more cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and stroke and incur higher healthcare costs.
Neighborhood greenness has long term positive impact on kids' health
In the first study to look at the effect of neighborhood greenness on inner city children's weight over time, researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the University of Washington report that higher neighborhood greenness is associated with slower increases in children's body mass over a two year period, regardless of residential density.
Even mild sleep apnea increases cardiovascular risk
People with even minimally symptomatic obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease because of impaired endothelial function and increased arterial stiffness, according to a study from the Oxford Centre for Respiratory Medicine in the UK.
Association found between severe obstructive sleep apnea
A study in the October 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine shows that unrelated to obesity, people with severe SDBs consume a more unhealthy diet, which may be a factor contributing to greater cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. These findings were most evident among women.
New light on link between snoring and cognitive deficits in children
About two-thirds of children with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)- snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)- have some degree of cognitive deficit, but the severity of the cognitive deficit has been notoriously difficult to correlate to the severity of the SDB.
Scientists discover why a mother's high-fat diet contributes to obesity in her children
New research published online in The FASEB Journal suggests that pregnant women should think twice about high-fat foods.
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